EDITOR’S NOTE: This has been corrected by removing a paragraph that erroneously said that the Elwha Police Department had been asked to assist but did not. No call for assistance was made to the Elwha tribal police.
PORT ANGELES — Diesel fuel was removed by Monday afternoon from a listing 74-foot wooden-hull fishing vessel moored at the Port Angeles Boat Haven, a state Department of Ecology official said Monday.
Alison Meyers, Ecology’s southwest region response spill unit supervisor, said the Pacific Sunrise was sitting above the water line while listing starboard and sitting on the bottom of the Port of Port Angeles-owned marina.
A boom was encircling it to contain seeping fuel.
“We’ve removed all of the pollution we were able to access,” she said Monday afternoon.
“There was a small release, but I can’t say how much there was.”
The vessel was unoccupied when it sank, Meyers said.
The owner was not in the area but had been contacted.
The Coast Guard responded and had a staff member at the site Monday afternoon, Meyers said.
The Pacific Sunrise’s owner will be liable for cleanup costs incurred by the state and federal governments.
“The port is discussing options about removal at this time,” Meyers said.
The port has hired Global Diving & Salvage Inc., of Seattle to protect the vessel, keep pumps running and seal any holes, port Executive Director Karen Goschen said.
“We’ll keep it afloat and work with the owners on the next step,” she said.
“Our main concern is getting it righted, pumped out and keeping it afloat.”
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at [email protected].
