PORT ANGELES – The Washington State Department of Ecology issued an update on the cleanup effort at Indian Creek west of Port Angeles following last month’s tanker truck fuel spill.
Emergency response operations are complete, and the Indian Creek spill is moving into a new phase focused on environmental recovery and long-term monitoring.
Unified Command, which included representatives from the EPA, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, State Department of Ecology, Clallam County Sheriff’s Office, and PetroCard, the responsible party, has stood down, marking the end of the emergency response phase.
Additional support came from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue, and some private consulting and response firms. At its peak, there were more than 65 responders working on the approximately 3,000 gallon fuel spill.
Next steps will be carried out by Ecology in collaboration with Tribal, state, and federal partners, to support long-term restoration and environmental monitoring.
That will include creating a formal Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) to evaluate ecological harm and determine necessary restoration.
Pending site assessment results could lead to a potential transition to Ecology’s Toxics Cleanup Program, which may assume long-term remediation if needed.
The report said these processes include assessing injuries, determining restoration needs, and working with PetroCard to fund restoration projects.
Over 2,100 fish and 538 invertebrates were confirmed killed, including juvenile salmon, lamprey, sculpin, and crawfish.
The Elwha River estuary and nearby beaches remained open and unaffected by the spill.
As salmon begin returning to the Elwha River in the coming weeks, officials determined that Indian Creek will remain open to fish passage. chemical monitoring will inform any adjustments needed to protect returning fish.
For the latest information on the spill, please visit: Tanker Truck Spill into Indian Creek – Washington State Department of Ecology