Honoring four decades of spill response in San Juan County

||| FROM BILL SYMES and ELAINA THOMPSON |||

One day in 1985, oil and oiled birds began washing ashore on the west side of San Juan Island. Arresting and then remediating the resulting damage to shoreline and wildlife required action within the first few hours of the spill – but necessary equipment and teams to use it were located on the mainland, and would not reach the islands for 24 hours or more. The oil slick left a trail of damage that was much worse than would have been the case had resources been immediately available.

That episode taught a hard lesson: in the first critical hours after oil shows up in local waters, the islands are on their own. To fill this crucial first-response gap, a group of islanders created Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA), directed by Lopezian Julie Knight for many years. IOSA acquires equipment and trains volunteers to implement initial spill remediation in real time, and to support follow-on cleanup operations by federal and state agencies and private contractors. It is one of very few organizations of its type in the world, driven by the local knowledge and dedication of its volunteers.

Over the last 40 years IOSA has responded to almost one thousand marine oil pollution incidents in and around the San Juans. Today a staff of two, Executive Director Elaina Thompson and Deputy Director Rick Winings, lead a team of more than 50 response-trained volunteers.

The best way to appreciate the protection that IOSA offers to the islands and their shorelines is through accounts of callouts over the last few years. The photos and captions below briefly describe a few of these incidents. The title in each section is a link to a more extensive online account of the events and of IOSA’s contributions to spill mitigation in each case. These stories can also be found online at www.iosaonline.org/news.

Aleutian Isle

2022 August 13: The 58 ft fishing boat Aleutian Isle sank off the west side of San Juan Island, taking 2500 gal of diesel and a mass of nets and rigging down with it generating a 1500 ft slick right in the migration path of the Southern Resident Orcas. IOSA was first on the scene, provided early reports to USCG and other agencies, and supplied vital equipment to the massive multi-agency multi-contractor cleanup operation that followed.

El Capitan

2023 November 18: The former Army tug El Capitan sank at its moorings in West Sound. Previous work on this abandoned vessel had removed most of the fuel, but there were still caches of petroleum products aboard that leaked into the Sound. IOSA responded immediately by providing on-site information to the USCG and other agencies and surrounded the sunken vessel with containment boom within a few hours of the sinking. The IOSA boom remained in place until the vessel was raised and salvaged seven months later.

Chief Joseph

2024 May 2: In a late-night asleep-at-the-wheel incident, the fishing boat Chief Joseph grounded and sank at Henry Island, west of Roche Harbor. The skipper and dog were rescued, but a diesel slick quickly developed and spread along the shoreline. IOSA was on the scene early the following morning and helped to locate and buoy the wreck, after which contractor divers sealed off fuel vents to minimize pollution. Seven days later the vessel was raised and towed away on a barge.

Car In False Bay

2025 January 7: Most of IOSA’s responses involve boats, but that’s not always the case. A report of a car in False Bay on San Juan brought Deputy Director Rick Winings out with absorbents and other gear, ready to deal with a car-sized spill. Fortunately, no spill occurred, and the Sheriff towed the car away without incident.

Simulated Emergency, Real Partners

2025 June 3-4: IOSA hosted a two-day multi-agency drill involving US Coast Guard, WA Department of Ecology, SJC Department of Emergency Management, Lummi and Swinomish nations, and other industry partners to simulate a response to a large slick coming ashore near Jackson Beach, San Juan Island. Fifty-two participants and fifteen organizations worked together over two days to plan and practice response, deploy boom, fly drones, and review wildlife deterrence and protection procedures. The drill provided invaluable experience in working within San Juan County with equipment, strategies, and partners essential in an actual spill response scenario.

IOSA and the Community

In an area like San Juan County with over 400 miles of shoreline, IOSA isn’t a luxury, but a continued critical service to our community. IOSA arose as a volunteer-driven response to a community need. As IOSA begins its fifth decade of service, community support remains essential to maintaining its rapid-response capabilities and training programs. To learn more about IOSA’s mission or to volunteer or make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.iosaonline.org or call 360-468-3441.