Skagit County





PRESS RELEASE

December 15, 2023




*Contact*

Jenn Rogers, Communications Manager

[email protected] <[email protected]>

360-416-1309






FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Update #6 on Olympic Pipeline Gasoline Spill

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Please see the most recent statement below from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington State Department of Ecology, and bp America regarding the Olympic pipeline gasoline spill on Highway 534 in Conway. Skagit County Department of Emergency Management is on site to support the response efforts.

Conway, WA (December 15, 2023/6:00 PM)

The unified command is leading the spill response to the release of gasoline from a vault associated with the Olympic Pipeline in Conway, Washington. The pipeline was shut down and the leak was stopped on Sunday, December 10.

Efforts to clean up spilled gasoline are continuing. Approximately 6,993 gallons of gasoline have been recovered to date. This number will be updated when the oily/water mixture being collected has sufficient time to settle and be measured. Approximately 25,326 gallons were released in the incident.

Updated Information

Teams have evaluated 6080 meters (3.7 miles) of shoreline for potential spill impacts, and trace impacts from the spill have been found on 133 meters (436 feet) of shoreline.

Approximately 2,300 feet of boom are currently deployed in the response.

Boom is deployed in the following locations:
? South of Conway Hill Road East of Pioneer Highway, just north of the Fisher Slough Preserve area
? Lining both sides of the bank of Hill Ditch, north and south of the bridge on SR 534
? As a cautionary measure, 300 feet of boom was placed preventatively in the Fisher Slough Preserve area

Members of the public who come upon injured or deceased wildlife are asked not to touch or relocate affected wildlife and to call 1-800-22BIRDS. Teams have recovered one American beaver, one pine siskin bird, one mallard duck, and one American widgeon duck deceased in the spill impact area; it is possible that the spill caused the deaths, but laboratory confirmation is required to confirm cause of death.

Area residents who live along Hill Ditch may continue to see sheen as pockets of gasoline that were trapped by vegetation and other debris on the water and along the shoreline are released by wind, rain, and the natural rise and fall of stream levels. Teams are locating and removing these pockets of gasoline.

General Information

The unified command consists of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Washington Department of Ecology, Skagit County Department of Emergency Management, bp, Lummi Nation, and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.

A claims center has been established by the Olympic Pipeline. Please call 1-866-616-1558 to report any personal or property damages resulting from the spill.

One lane of SR 534 remains open as cleanup work proceeds. Traffic flaggers are assisting motorists through the area.

Air monitoring conducted at the direction of unified command continues to indicate no public health risk from gasoline fumes.

Status updates will be posted on Ecology?s incident webpage at [link removed]

The Federal Aviation Administration established a temporary flight restriction in the response area. More information is available at: [link removed]

Drone footage of the incident scene is available at:
[link removed]?
[link removed]
[link removed]

Photos of the incident are available here: [link removed]

For further information on this incident, contact:
Scarlet Tang/Ecology: 206-920-2600
Bill Dunbar/EPA: 206-245-7452
Jenn Rogers/Skagit County: 360-630-6604
Pamela Brady/BP: 360-920-1171

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Skagit County [ [link removed] ]

SKAGIT COUNTY, WASHINGTON

County Commissioners: Lisa Janicki, Peter Browning, Ron Wesen
1800 Continental Place, Suite 100
Mount Vernon, WA 98273

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