CAMAS, Wash. -- The Coast Guard has requested $3.5 million to clean up oil leaking from a derelict barge on the Columbia River near Camas in southwest Washington.
The Columbian reports the money comes from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, created by a federal tax on petroleum products.
The 431-foot Davy Crockett is a World War II Liberty ship that was converted to a barge and has been beached for years for scrapping.
The Coast Guard took control of the vessel last week, after a sheen of oil was spotted in the river. Now more than 60 people from federal and Washington and Oregon state agencies are responding.
About 1,4500 gallons of oil have been recovered, but the barge could hold as much as 953,000 gallons.
Oil samples taken from the vessel contained traces of PCBs, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Oil from the engine room hold contained about 3.44 part per million of polychlorinated biphenyls. Federal regulations require special steps be taken if the level is 50 ppm or greater.
“The PCB-containing oil released from the barge is not an immediate public health risk,” said David McBride, a toxicologist with the Washington State Dept. of Health. “Existing advisories warn people to not eat any freshwater shellfish in the lower Columbia River, due to pre-existing contamination from historic releases of PCB.”
The Washington Department of Ecology and the U-S Coast Guard already recovered about five barrels worth on fuels board. They estimated there could be 80 more.
Background: Barge runs aground on Columbia River
"It appears it was some improper and irresponsible techinques of breaking the ship," said Cmdr. Michael Zamperini of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Zamperini said the owners trying to salvage parts of the ship led to the collapse and the spill. The problem started Thursday with a massive sheen spotted just off shore.
"We saw floating oil, black oil, in the area," said Curtis Piesch, with the Washington Department of Ecology, "It had been cut out and streams of oil were coming out from the woody debris."
They lined the shore with hundreds of yards of boom, but crews couldn't estimate how much had leaked out into the water.
"Luckily it is fairly light oil and when the sun hits it it's dissipating on its own," Zamperini said.
Crews cleaned up five barrels worth of oil on the ship then declared it safe. That was until Thursday, when she sunk and leaked again.
Divers spent the Saturday searching for the original source, which they think is in the engine room. The Coast Guard says the owner could have broken apart the barge illegally, and could be facing criminal charges.
There's no timeline for how long the cleanup effort will take.
