According to the province, an oil spill that polluted a waterway in northwestern Washington 10 days ago poses no threat to the Island.
鈥淎t this time, there is no indication of risk to Vancouver Island waters, wildlife, or communities,鈥� the Ministry of Environment and Parks told the Victoria News on July 25.
On the morning of July 18, the Washington Department of Ecology responded to a crash on U.S. Highway 101 west of Port Angeles, where a PetroCard tanker-truck rolled into Indian Creek 鈥� a tributary of the Elwha River, which flows into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Later that day, a unified command, made up of tribal, federal, state, local and company representatives, was created to head cleanup efforts.
The overturned truck had been removed from Indian Creek by 5 a.m. on July 19. Crews later laid booms, replaced sorbent materials and searched for areas to recover fuel.
"Shortly after the spill, response crews observed immediate fish kills. This is consistent with gas, which is acutely toxic to fish," the Washington Department of Ecology said on July 21, later adding that at least 2,130 fish have been killed.
According to a July 23 news release from the unified command leading the spill response, beaches and nearshore waters in Port Angeles remain open and safe, and fuel from the spill is not impacting the Elwha River estuary.
While crews were initially unsure about the extent of the spill, officials confirmed on July 24 that approximately 10,590 litres of gasoline and 650 litres of diesel flowed into the waterway.
The Ministry of Environment's Environmental Emergency Program (EEB), which responds to hazardous-material and harmful-substance spills, is monitoring the incident through public information shared by the Washington Department of Ecology.
鈥淲hile any spill to waterways is concerning, the potential for measurable impacts to Vancouver Island would depend on several factors 鈥� including the volume of fuel entering the main river, the effectiveness of containment and cleanup measures in Washington, and the natural dispersion and dilution that occurs before reaching the marine environment," said the ministry, adding that the EEB has not been in direct contact with U.S. officials regarding the incident.
As of July 27, crews are agitating the creek bed and shorelines to release fuel trapped beneath rocks and debris, and removing contaminated soil where the tanker-truck entered the creek.
The EEB will continue to monitor updates from Washington authorities and assess if further actions are warranted.
