The US Coast Guard, Washington Department of Ecology and other agencies responded quickly to a vessel sinking at a pier in Seattle.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a report at approximately 0730 that the 28-metre (91-foot) crabber North American had sunk at a pier east of the Ballard Bridge on the south side of the Lake Washington Ship Canal.
Seattle Fire arrived on scene and deployed containment boom around the vessel, which has a reported maximum diesel fuel capacity of approximately 150,000 litres (32,500 gallons).
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
The Coast Guard opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and contracted Global Dive and Salvage, an oil spill response specialist, to conduct clean-up and response operations. Divers have been deployed to plug vents and mitigate the discharge of additional product into the water.
Responders deployed a secondary layer of containment boom around the vessel and plan to transfer the remaining product from the vessel to tanks on shore.
Coast Guard pollution responders from Sector Puget Sound have been on-scene to assess the area and provide support for clean-up efforts.
There are no reports of injured wildlife or impacts to vessel traffic due to this incident.
