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| Thin coating - a sheen - of oil on water |
Oil is toxic to the environment and the damage starts as soon as the oil hits water. A single quart of oil has the potential to foul more than 100,000 gallons of water.
Washington Department of Ecology news
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Feb. 22, 2012
12-062
Ecology and other agencies responding to oil spill on SR 520
BELLEVUE - The state Department of Ecology is on the scene of a traffic accident on westbound SR 520 west of I-405 in Bellevue to respond to fuel spills from one or more of the vehicles involved. Ecology is cooperating with other agencies responding at the scene. Read More >>
Ecology was notified of the accident at 4:40 this morning. The department is working with the cities of Bellevue and Kirkland departments of public works and the Washington Department of Transportation to track the flow of spilled fuel, and take measures to contain it.
A dump truck involved in the collision sustained damage to a fuel tank, which released diesel fuel onto the roadway. Oil flowed into storm drains that empty into Yarrow Creek. The truck's owner has hired an environmental cleanup contractor to conduct further cleanup operations under Ecology oversight.
Responders have placed oil cleanup materials in Yarrow Creek where a sheen - a thin coating on the surface - appears on the water. Crews will clean out a catch basin near the roadway to stop further releases of oil to the stream.
All oil spills cause environmental damage, regardless of size. Oil is toxic to the environment and the damage starts as soon as the oil hits water. A single quart of oil has the potential to foul more than 100,000 gallons of water.
Ecology will post updated information about the spill cleanup on its website at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/incidents/SR520accident-spill/SR-520accident-spill.html.
Photo from Internet (not the spill site)
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