At 1100 hrs on April 7, 2005, OSC Terada and 3 EPA contractors were dispatched to respond to a jet fuel (JP8) spill at the US Oil Refinery in Tacoma, Washington. The spill occurred due to a valve being accidentally being left open, which resulted in a spill of approximately 300 barrels (12,600 gallons) of jet fuel into an earthen containment area. Due to the threat of a release of jet fuel into the nearby Blair Waterway and Commencement Bay, EPA, Coast Guard, Washington State Department of Ecology (WSDOE), and Tacoma Fire Department responded to this incident.
Based on initial observations, it appears that no fuel has leaked into the environment and/or surface waters. The recovery of the jet fuel is still occurring with an evaluation of the nature and extent of soil and ground water contamination still pending. The State's Oil Spill Prevention Program will be overseeing the efforts to determining whether any soil and/or ground water clean up is needed.
A review of the facility's Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) and Federal Response Plans (FRP) were also conducted.
The incident was deemed secure at 1600 hrs.
