There is no pollution threat from a sailboat that is beached in the Whatcom Creek Waterway near Waypoint Park, Department of Ecology (DOE) spokesperson Ty Keltner told Cascadia Daily News Tuesday morning.
The 36-foot sailboat grounded in the waterway, and as the tide came in, an oil sheen was spotted coming off the vessel, prompting a citizen to notify the DOE on Monday, Keltner said.
The DOE responded Monday and arrived on the scene to assess the situation. The Port of Bellingham also arrived to put an oil containment boom around the vessel.
“There was not a lot of sheen coming off and it had mostly dissipated by the time we arrived,” said Keltner, who did not know the name of the boat or who owns it.
The Coast Guard arrived at the vessel Tuesday morning and reported there was no sheen coming off it, Keltner said. The Coast Guard also placed absorbent pads into the vessel and couldn’t gather any oil.
“There is no pollution threat at all,” Keltner said. “Our work is done with this one.”
The Department of Natural Resources has jurisdiction over the vessel, said Mike Hogan, Port of Bellingham’s public affairs administrator. He said the Port has alerted the Harbor Master in case the DNR needs additional help.
DNR Aquatics Communications Manager Joe Smillie said they were not yet aware of the sinking sailboat as of Tuesday morning.
Cascadia Daily News will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
