— from Mik Preyz, Acting Orcas Island Fire and Rescue Chief —
At 2:49 p.m., on Friday, April 10, 2015, on Seaview Street, Eastsound, Washington OIFR was dispatched to the report of an overturned gasoline tanker truck. Responders found the trailer of a gasoline fuel tanker truck overturned on its side with gasoline leaking from an access port. The tanker was reported to be filled with approximately 5200 gallons of gasoline. First responders initially assessed the scene and applied suppressing foam. Neighbors near the spill site were evacuated.
Throughout the night and today, a coordinated response is in progress by Orcas Island Fire and Rescue, San Juan County Department of Emergency Management, State of Washington Department of Ecology, Eastsound Water and the National Response Corporation (N.R.C.), and Orcas Auto Tech/Orcas Towing.
Currently there is no immediate hazard to the community and evacuees have returned home. Overnight it was determined:
- It is currently estimated that 200 to 300 gallons of gasoline was spilled
- The leak from the trailer was stopped and at approximately 5:45 a.m. today the last of the gasoline was removed from the leaking tanker, preventing further leakage
- Orcas Towing worked to maintain stability of the overturned trailer
Efforts throughout the day will be focused on
- Assuring the safety of the community and responders
- Concentrating on the prevention of negative impacts to drinking water and the environment
- Removing the overturned trailer
- Ongoing soil & water testing
- Excavating contaminated soil
Orcas Island Fire & Rescue wishes to thank the more than 30 volunteers and staff who have worked tirelessly throughout the night and continue their work today. A special thank you to Senator Ranker and to Councilman Hughes for their diligence and assistance in helping to mitigate the situation. Additionally ongoing thanks to San Juan County Department of Emergency Management, State of Washington Department of Ecology, Eastsound Water, NRC, and Orcas Auto Tech/Orcas Towing.
Thank you to all for your dedicated efforts,
Why are we storing gazoline near a residential area ?
OIFR did a superb job in response and in keeping the area secured. Much more could have been done, if citizen volunteers had been allowed to collect soil and water samples from the first of the spill. We have so many skilled scientists and citizens trained for disaster relief; solving our own emergencies gives us a stronger sense of contributing to our collective safety and stewardship of the lands and waters entrusted to us.
I still shudder to think on what might have happened on, say, a July day with a strong northerly wind, tinderbox-dry lands, and one spark that could have ignited the whole thing.
I have grave concerns about bulk storage of flammable and explosive fuels in an Urban Growth Area, above important wetlands so close to our nearshore waters where everything would run downhill.
This is the second spill in 2 months at the Vanderyacht site. Vanderyacht leases parking space to San Juan Propane; which, if you look, its huge bulk storage propane tanks are backed right up to the trees on the north border of Opal housing community Bonnie Brae.T
There is no back up containment at Vanderyacht. There are no barriers or berms to keep trucks from overturning, as this one did. I don’t see it as a “safe” site, and I hope public discussion and concerns will convince the County to tighten protective regulations so that we are not faced with this again. Without strong public guidance from concerned citizens, those protections won’t happen.
I don’t know how the County saw fit to permit something this potentially deadly operation in our Urban Growth area, but high density housing, forests & wetlands, and fire hazards/pollutants/ and large bulk tanks of potential explosives – on Eastsound Basin Watershed – do not mix.
thank you, Sadie – my thoughts exactly – and building such an industrial complex on one of the most beautiful view sites on Orcas Island is kind of a mind blower!!
Regarding the spill at the propane site at the end of Seaview I feel certain questions have to be asked.
I lived near the site 7 years back. I saw the development of the large parcel that contains the propane site. This parcel was almost totally cleared in it being devloped. Where the propane site is there is little if any forest buffer.
1- How was the parcel where the propane site get a commercial zoning.
2-Were the residents of Seaview and OPAL contacted, was there a hearing on potential impacts?
These issues have to be addressed. This propane site should not have been placed so close a densely populated area.
Looks like Mik hit the ground running as acting chief, the Fire Dept did a great job, Orcas Towing also and many others.
Lin -great work on reporting.