— by Margie Doyle, with Chief Kevin O’Brien —
OIFR stands by and secures the scene of the overturned gas truck that went off the roadway, visible just over the embankment.
At approximately 2:49 p.m. today, Orcas Island Fire and Rescue responded to the 300 block of Seaview Street in Eastsound for the report of an Island Petroleum Services gasoline tanker that became separated from the truck pulling it, and rolled on its side. Arriving units found the tanker slowly leaking gasoline from an access port at the rate of 3 gallons per minute, or 180 gallons per hour. It is estimated that approximately 1300 gallons of fuel may potentially spill.
The neighborhood near the incident was evacuated by OIFR and San Juan County Sheriff’s Deputies.
Paul Kamin of Eastsound Water Users Association was called to the scene and shut down nearby wells as a precautionary measure.
OIFR remains on the scene, working with the San Juan Department of Emergency Management and Washington State Department of Ecology to mitigate the situation. “It’s not safe enough for our responders to get in there and stop the spill,” said Fire Chief Kevin O’Brien, “and we have no HazMat team available in San Juan County.” As of 6:30 p.m., crews were still awaiting the arrival of a HazMat team from Seattle, or, if it can be arranged, from Bellingham.
There were no injuries to citizens or responders.
More information regarding the incident will follow.
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