Tosco Refinery; Ferndale, Washington

Ferndale, Washington | 1997-Aug-05

Initial Notification: At approximately 2200, August 5, 1997, an unknown quantity of heavy fuel oil and jet fuel was spilled from the Tosco Refinery in Ferndale, Washington. The spill occurred during operations in which a mixture of Jet A fuel and water was being pumped through a series of eight heavy fuel cargo lines to clean them. The mixture is normally recirculated and reclaimed but, because of a misaligned valve, the mixture was released into a bermed sump area on the dock. The oil mixture overflowed the berm and entered Puget Sound. Boom was deployed around the spill site and geographical response plan protection strategies were implemented ahead of the expected path of the oil. The highest priority for protection was determined to be Lummi Bay with its large areas of protected mud flats and eelgrass beds. Overflights conducted on August 6 also reported the presence of killer whales and harbor seals feeding on migrating salmon near the oil slick. These areas were closely monitored by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife overflights with no impacts to whales or seals observed. Open-water operations begun on August 6 consisted of skimming free- floating oil from the containment area next to the Tosco dock and enhanced skimming along convergence zones where primarily oiled seaweed and tarballs were collected. By the end of the first day, only light sheen and tarballs in the kelp off the northeast and east shoreline of Vendovi Island were observed. The following day, smaller quantities of oiled kelp were collected in convergence zones in Bellingham Bay and stranded oiled kelp was removed from Vendovi Island. Active cleanup was completed on August 8. USCG district 13. Keyword: boom.