TULALIP — A mysterious ammonia tank found washed up on a Port Susan beach is not believed to pose a hazard to humans, but officials are keeping a close watch over it.
Ammonia is a corrosive gas that’s toxic if inhaled, according to the state Department of Ecology. Authorities with several government agencies have closed the neighborhood to everyone except the people who live there. A nearby walking trail has been closed to the public until further notice.
The tank was found Sunday afternoon about 100 yards down the beach from the southernmost home in the Tulare Beach community, in the northern part of the Tulalip Indian Reservation.
Officials aren’t sure how much ammonia is in the tank. Still, they’re afraid that moving it would cause it to leak, said Dick Walker, a spill responder for the ecology department, who was at the scene on Monday. The plan is to leave it in place and allow ammonia fumes vent for two or three more days.
The cylindrical tank is made of steel, about 4 feet in diameter and 4 feet tall, officials said. Authorities estimate the tank could hold 470 gallons or 2,000 pounds. Air monitoring has shown that levels do not pose a hazard so far, officials said. The wind was blowing from the north on Monday, taking fumes south into Port Susan. If the wind shifts, residents will be advised to stay inside with their doors and windows shut, Walker said.
A person walking on the beach found the tank about 2 p.m. Sunday, said Jacqui Schultz, another spill responder for the ecology department. Officials arrived by about 4:30 p.m. Also on the scene Monday were the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Coast Guard and the Tulalip Fire Department.
Tulare Beach residents had seen the tank floating in the water for a couple of days before it turned up on the beach, Schultz said.
There were no immediate, obvious clues about the object’s origin. The best guess is that it was used to store ammonia for a refrigeration unit on a fishing boat, Walker said.
It may be difficult to trace, though.
“It’s quite weathered,” Schultz said. “It’s been out there awhile.”
If an owner is found, he or she could be charged with illegal disposal of hazardous waste — a criminal offense, Walker said.
The tank has one other interesting feature, Walker said.
“It’s got bullet holes in it,” he said.
Walker it’s hard to tell if the shots were fired into the tank before or after it went into the water.
Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439; sheets@heraldnet.com.
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