A fishing vessel carrying 9,840 gallons of oil and diesel fuel has sunk off the coast of San Juan Island in Washington. The US Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard will be conducting assessments this week to see how far the spill has spread. Authorities are investigating whether the boat’s crew disobeyed any laws regarding water pollution.
Officials are concerned about the safety of the local Orca population. Diesel fuel and oil can cause irritation to the skin of the whales and the vapors are toxic. The area affected by the spill is protected under the US Endangered Species Act.
The US Coast Guard is sending divers to attempt to reach the sunken vessel and plug its vents. They will begin removing fuel from the boat this week.
Oil spill off San Juan Island ‘pretty well impossible to clean up,’ expert says
