On November 6, 2017, USCG Sector Columbia River, Incident Management Division (IMD), notified EPA of a half-sunken vessel near a dock in the Hoquiam River, in the town of Hoquiam, Grays Harbor County, Washington. The fishing vessel Two Sisters was reported to have approximately 200 gallons of diesel on board, although none was reported to have discharged. The vessel is in a precarious position, lying adjacent to another sunken vessel and broken dock, thus creating access, safety, and oil discharge threats. Two lines from another boat are secured to the bow and stern, and there is no motor onboard.
A State On-Scene Coordinator from the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has responded to the incident, and is conducting response and removal activities under a PRFA issued by the EPA FOSC. Response activities are focused on removal of fuel and oil aboard the vessel to abate the threat of discharge to the waterway. Nearby resources potentially at risk include Bowerman Basin, west of the incident site.
