It was discovered there was far more fuel on board the vessel which caught fire and sunk over the weekend in Penn Cove than initially reported. KOMO reported today over 1,900 gallons had been pumped out, in addition to the 2 gallons per minute which had been leaking since Sunday's sinking. (click here for KOMO report from 5/15)
It is unknown how much more fuel remains and how much of what leaked has drifted where with deeper currents in Penn Cove. What else was onboard the vessel currently leaching into the waters is also unknown. Its proximity to Penn Cove Shellfish's mussel farm puts its ongoing operation at risk.
Burning Vessel on Sunday
(from KOMO)
Penn Cove Shellfish has been shut down since Sunday. When operations will resume and how the Department of Health will determine whether mussels are safe for consumption is unknown. DNR has said it will raise the vessel, at taxpayer expense, and remove it (see South Whidbey Record article from 5/15 here).
According to KOMO, DNR had known about the illegally anchored ship for over 5 months but was unable to do anything beyond fines and letters. As reported, boats and barges are allowed to anchor for 30 days without any permits, after which they must move or get a permit from DNR. In Zangle Cove and elsewhere in south Puget Sound, the long term anchoring of shellfish barges and boats has been an ongoing issue for years between shoreline owners and shellfish operators, with DNR being unwilling or unable to act when appropriate (see August 18, 2010 posting on this blog). DNR now understands far better the concerns people have. Perhaps the legislature will now provide funding for enforcement of this law.
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