On December 21, 2017, the Pierce Country Central Fire District responded to a report of abandoned drums and oil spill on the side of the road in Spanaway, Pierce County, Washington. Pierce Fire contacted the Washington Department of Ecology, who then responded to the scene and observed 11 abandoned and leaking drums that appeared to contain used oil. Several of the drums were overturned and had spilled onto the road and into a storm drain system which flows into an adjacent wetland and Clover Creek.
Ecology’s notified the EPA Phone Duty Officer, who decided to opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and issue a Pollution Removal Funding Authorization to allow Ecology to immediately address the discharge and threat of a discharge of oil into the local wetland and creek. Ecology mobilized contract response resources to remove oil from the drums, the road surface and contaminated soils, and then jetted oil from several stormwater basins. The drums were also picked up and removed for appropriate disposal.
