Port of Friday Harbor Press Release
On Tuesday September 29, 2026, at approximately 1:00 PM, the Port of Friday Harbor staff was transferring used motor oil and bilge water mix from a double hulled storage vessel to a transfer tote for recycling. During movement of the tote, the drain valve broke off and released approximately 200 gallons of oil and bilge water mix to the ground near the waterward edge of the Friday Harbor Marina parking area at 204 Front Street, Friday Harbor, WA.
Port Staff and the Island Oil Spill Association responded immediately with absorbents and installed hard boom, sorbent boom, and oil sweep in the water downhill of the impacted upland area.
Clean Harbors was contracted and mobilized for the emergency cleanup response at 5:00 PM. Washington State Department of Ecology and Port staff toured the site at 7:00 PM on the 29th to view the stabilization effort up to that time.
No sheen was visible in the water between the shoreline and the boom between the time of the release and 7:30 PM on the 29th.
At 5:00 AM on Wednesday September 30, 2026, a Clean Harbors emergency response team arrived at the site and coordinated with Ecology and Port staff. Initial testing to determine the extent of the impacted ground is underway. Removal of contaminated soil will proceed throughout the day. Additional information will be provided as the cleanup proceeds.