Oil Spill in Puget Sound

[colonelchuck]

Washington Department of Ecology, the lead state agency for the cleanup, has an excellent information page at:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/fosspointwells/fosspointwellsbase.htm
The response was initially guided by a Geographic Response Plan which is a compilation of intital strategies, equipment available and high value environments and creatures. The planning is done under the Northwest Area Contingency Plan - part of the National Response Plan for chemical and oil spills.
Similar plans exist for the rest of Puget Sound, the Oregon and Washington Coasts and the Columbia River. While not perfect, these plans really help in the first hours of a response.

Chuck Donaldson
Manager, Emergency Response
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality

 

[Kayla]

This is the first I have heard of anything.... how far did it move today, anyone know? Its always sad when marine animals are killed by man made causes.....

Kayla

 

[Uncle Pug]

A few birds or seals isn't a big deal IMO... they die all the time from one thing or another. A bigger deal is the herring spawn that should be taking place in January. And a potentially bigger deal to some is the possible effect this has on the geoduck beds. Shellfish harvesting is now closed in the affected areas.

 

[TechBlue]

Talking about spills, has anybody heard anything more about the tanker that sank of Spain a year or so ago? I know there wasn't much they could do about it after the fact but I never heard wether they traced the owners and what the final outcome was.

Chris

 

[Snowbear]

Its always sad when marine animals are killed by man made causes.....
Kayla

But as Uncle Pug says, the impact to the few mammals and birds that the news uses to sensationalize the event is nothing compared to the unseen damage few ever see.

If you want to despair over man-caused destruction, check out this site. It's a bit sensationalist (Duh!) but the point is, the ecological damage is long-lasting and continuous.

 

[smrtblnddiver]

The news tonight said a few million to clean it all up and it's made it over to an estuary of Kingston (yes, I was only marginally paying attention). Picture showed quite a few crabs covered with oil and one of the tribes talking about the effects on their food supply (fishing).

 

[smrtblnddiver]

More info.........

http://www.komotv.com/stories/29078.htm