The Aleutian Isle had nearly 9,840 liters of oil and diesel on board when it went aground off the west coast of San Juan Island in Washington state. Gerald Graham, a Victoria-based consultant specializing in marine oil spill response and prevention, said the diesel fuel flowing from the vessel was very light, meaning crews could not use booms or skimmers to clean it up. . “It’s pretty impossible to clean up,” she told The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn. “In open water, there’s basically nothing you can do because the oil will either splash over a boom or fall under it. He said the best thing to do would be to try to stop the leak and remove the remaining oil from the wreck.
Although the spill is technically in US waters, there is a chance it could be carried to Canada, meaning both the US and Canadian coast guards are responding. The two teams train together to prepare for such situations. The Canadian Coast Guard says it will conduct air and water assessments Monday to determine the extent of the spill. As of Monday morning, no Canadian coastline had been affected. On Sunday, an announcement from the US Coast Guard (USCG) said that divers will attempt to reach the sunken Aleutian Isle on Monday to better assess its condition, close its vents and begin removing fuel from the vessel. USCG Chief Petty Officer Michael Clark said investigations are underway to determine whether the vessel and its crew violated water pollution laws. If found responsible, Clark said, they could be fined. pic.twitter.com/0mc5d3bLcX —@USCGPacificNW

Danger to marine life

Graham said killer whales were spotted in the area Saturday afternoon, but they turned around and went west to the Strait of Juan de Fuca between Vancouver Island and Washington’s Olympic Peninsula — which he said is “uncharacteristic of them.” “They usually make a beeline for the Haru Strait [between Vancouver Island and San Juan Island] and up the west coast of San Juan Island, hugging the coast. This time they came back, so it’s very fortunate,” Graham said. But he worries that killer whales may return to the area. Oil spills can cause skin irritation in orcas and the vapors are toxic. “We’ll keep an eye on them,” he said. Seals, sea lions, fish and seabirds are also at risk from oil spills. According to a tweet from the USCG, any sightings of animals with oil on them can be reported to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-22-BIRDS. The Early Edition8:12 Update on the sunken boat off the coast of San Juan Island A fishing boat capsized on Saturday and reports say it had about 9,800 liters of diesel and oil on board. Gerald Graham is a Victoria-based consultant specializing in marine oil spill prevention and response planning.