Oil spill damages tribe’s clam trade

Published 9:00 pm Thursday, January 1, 2004

INDIANOLA, Wash. – Damage to the Suquamish Tribe’s geoduck and clam trade from an oil spill this week could total several hundred thousand dollars, members of the tribe say.

“It’s disheartening to smell the oil and see the marsh grass black,” said tribal spokesman Leonard Forsman.

Tribal biologists collected samples of geoducks and clams, which they planned to send to labs for testing. While there was little fear that adult fish and birds calling the estuary home would suffer long-term damage, there was concern that immobile species, larvae and younger fish would need years to recover.

The 4,800-gallon spill was reported early Tuesday when a refueling barge operated by Foss was overfilled at Point Wells, near Richmond Beach north of Seattle. About one minute passed, a Foss spokesman said, before crew members and dock workers could shut off valves controlling the flow of heavy oil. About 6,000 gallons of fuel spilled, but about 1,200 gallons were recovered on the deck of the barge. Oil that poured into the water traveled about six miles across Puget Sound, into the estuary on the Suquamish reservation.

The tribe complained that cleanup officials failed to assess the severity of the spill before it contaminated the estuary and suggested that more workers should have been deployed when it was discovered that the oil slick was headed to the beach.

Cleanup crews, led by Foss Maritime, initially used a protective boom spread across the estuary’s entrance to prevent an oil spillover, but strong winds and high tides allowed the contaminants to breach the barrier. About 70 workers on Friday continued cleaning and inspecting the shoreline.

“This area was practically untouched before this,” said Paul Williams, the tribe’s shellfish-program manager.

The Department of Ecology is investigating the cause of the spill.

Foss, a 115-year-old company with operations in Puget Sound, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles, said Thursday that a tank supervisor on the barge had returned to an office to fill out paperwork after fuel loading began. A series of visible and audible alarms signaled a problem, and the employee, along with other dock workers, returned to shut down the operation.

Foss spokesman Joe Langjahr said it’s not uncommon or against company policy for the tank operator to leave the fuel-loading site, because monitors are visible from the office.

While cleanup efforts could take weeks and cost millions of dollars, tribal leaders say it could be years before the beach and estuary return to their pristine condition.

“At this point, we’ve no idea how toxic the oil will be,” said Viviane Barry, a tribal shellfish biologist.

Cleanup crews switched tactics Thursday to remove as much oil as possible from the water’s surface. Despite cold, rainy weather, crews in yellow slickers and boots strung out yards of green “pompom” booms that attract oil.

Oil continued washing up on the rocky, gravelly beach. As of Friday morning, crews had recovered two oiled birds and one seal pup, which later died.

Tribal members are expected to meet early next week with the Department of Ecology and company officials to assess damage and cleanup options. Forsman said tribal leaders want to quickly reach an understanding with Foss about repair to the estuary. Ecology spokesman Larry Altose said state money spent on the cleanup also would be recovered.