The state Department of Ecology issued a nearly $4 million fine for a 2023 spill of more than 20,000 gallons of gasoline from BP’s Olympic Pipeline. Some 4,000 gallons flowed into Hill Ditch, a channelized portion of a salmon-bearing stream and part of the Skagit River watershed.
The pipeline system, which carries fossil fuels from refineries along the Salish Sea to Portland, remains shut down after a leak was discovered at a blueberry farm near Everett on Nov. 11.
There are two pipelines at the release location: a 16-inch and a 20-inch pipeline. Testing conducted Monday confirmed a leak in the 20-inch pipeline and crews are developing a repair plan, BP spokesperson Christina Audisho said.
“Plans for a partial restart are being developed,” Audisho wrote in an email Monday night.
The size of the leak was still being assessed.
It’s the third known leak from the pipeline this year, according to the nonprofit Pipeline Safety Trust.
The $3.8 million fine for the 2023 spill, announced Monday, is the second penalty issued to the pipeline in five years.
The 400-mile pipeline system carries gasoline, diesel and jet fuel to terminal sites in Seattle, SeaTac, Tacoma, and Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, and is operated by BP.
The state’s investigation found a corroded nut caused the 2023 spill near Conway, Skagit County. The state found that BP performed assessments and inspections of the equipment, “but failed to identify the corroded carbon steel nut, which should not have been used due to the corrosive potential of combining dissimilar metals,” the state wrote.
Cleanup responders found several dead, oiled wildlife, according to the state, including ducks, a bird, a beaver and a vole. The spill led to the temporary closure of a nearby school and a local road.
“Ecology is penalizing the pipeline owner and operator for unlawful discharge of pollution into waters of the state and negligence,” the state wrote in a release.
A pipeline alarm sounded “multiple times” Dec. 9, 2023, indicating a possible leak, according to the Ecology department. Pipeline staff investigated, but a leak was not identified. The alarms again sounded Dec. 10, leading BP to shut down the pipeline. A field technician found water and gasoline “overflowing from a concrete vault.”
Over three months, cleanup crews removed 12,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil and 330,000 gallons of oily water from the site, according to the state.
“As noted by the Washington Department of Ecology, our collaborative, robust response with our partners limited the affected area, reduced environmental impacts and prioritized public health,” an emailed statement from BP reads.
The Skagit River, which supports all five species of Pacific salmon, is sometimes considered the last best hope for salmon recovery in Puget Sound.
The state is seeking to also recover the cost of its $822,162 response to the spill. Ecology issued the Notice of Penalty to BP on Nov. 18. A natural resource damage assessment continues.
Swinomish Tribal Chairman Steve Edwards praised the state’s action, saying in a statement: “The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has worked for decades to protect and restore the water quality and riparian habitat that salmon need to recover and thrive.
“The BP pipeline gasoline spill 2 years ago was a major setback to Coho and other salmon that use Hill Ditch and the Fisher Slough area, and full restoration of those areas will take years,” Edwards said. “Swinomish believes that holding polluters accountable is important, and I am glad that Ecology has issued a strong penalty for this needless action that harmed our waters and our fish.”
The pipeline was fined $100,000 for a 2020 leak of 67 gallons of diesel.
In June 1999, the Olympic Pipeline ruptured and poured 236,000 gallons of gasoline into a tributary of Whatcom Creek. Fumes from the gasoline ignited and sent a fireball down the creek, through a park and neighborhoods. Three people died. The deadly spill resulted in more than $7 million in fines.
Material from The Seattle Times archives was included in this story.
