PORT TOWNSEND — A 31-foot vessel with 180 gallons of diesel fuel sank next to a dock at the Port of Port Townsend marina on Wednesday.
“Port staff quickly deployed absorbent materials, boom and hard boom when the vessel sank,” said Linda Kent, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Ecology.
“Up to 50 gallons of diesel, which has been leaking from the boat’s fuel tank, has been collected so far,” she said, adding that the Coast Guard also was working on the cleanup.
Kent said that the sinking was reported to Ecology at 2:20 p.m.
“Port staff had already begun addressing it,” Kent said.
Said Ecology lead spill responder Ron Holcomb: “The port staff did an excellent job of working quickly to address and contain this spill during the initial stages.
“We will continue to work diligently to minimize its impacts,” he added.
Kent did not know what caused the boat to sink.
Also working on cleaning up the spill were Coast Guard personnel and the owner of the boat, Kent said.
State and federal authorities have responders at the site working with the port and the vessel owner on the cleanup and vessel salvage, Kent said.
