Shipping company fined for 199-gallon Puget Sound oil spill

A commercial shipping company is paying the price for an oil spill in Puget Sound.

The Washington Department of Ecology fined Liberty Marine Corporation $32,000 for a 2023 spill near Manchester State Park that dumped 199 gallons of waste oil into the Puget Sound, according to a news release.

A crewmember overfilled the ship’s incinerator waste oil service tank while transferring oil from a holding tank. The extra oil leaked through a clogged vent system and discharged overboard via the ship’s rainwater drainage system.

Puget Sound oil spill was avoidable

Ecology said the spill was preventable, and that crew members failed to follow safety procedures, such as getting permission for the transfer, assigning crew members to monitor the operation, and responding to alarms. One high-level alarm was silenced and wasn’t reported or acted on.

Ecology also noted that key safety equipment failed to operate properly.

The crew recovered around 47 gallons of oil from the ship’s funnel deck, but no oil was recovered from the water. Required notifications to state and federal agencies were also delayed, leading to a longer response.

While there were no direct impacts to fish or wildlife reported, the central Puget Sound — from north of Vashon Island to the southern portion of Bainbridge Island — is home to various species that may have been exposed to the oil.

Liberty Marine Corporation has 30 days to appeal the fine.

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