By Christopher Schwarzen
Seattle Times
February 28, 2004
A day after the company responsible for a 4,800-gallon oil spill removed its heavy equipment and ended most of its cleanup efforts, Suquamish tribal elder Marilyn Wandrey sprinkled herbs in the waters of the Doe-kag-wats estuary, a sacred place her ancestors first used for spiritual ceremonies.
Some 30 Suquamish tribal members and friends sang, drummed and prayed yesterday as they attempted to lift a pall they say has settled over their Indianola, Kitsap County, estuary inundated with heavy marine oil from a Dec. 30 Foss Maritime spill.
As tribal members burned sage sticks stuck in the wet sand, eagles soared overhead — a positive sign to the tribe that redemption for the land was close at hand.
“The ceremony cleansed the air and left a blessing on the land, but we need a lot of help yet,” Wandrey said. “Physically, we can still see the imprint of this spill.”
When the ceremony ended the discussion turned from spiritual cleansing to physical reminders that the beach was far from clean, according to the tribe.
“There’s still work that needs to be done,” said Leonard Forsman, a tribal spokesman. “It’s definitely not to the point where we think it needs to be.”
But Foss Maritime, which has claimed responsibility for the cleanup while an investigation into the cause of the spill continues, says it’s done with the majority of cleanup.
Company officials removed its equipment Thursday and scaled back its cleanup crew from 17 to two people, who are responsible for replacing booms that will soak up any remaining oil in the estuary.
“That’s not to say we’re abandoning cleanup,” said Tom Peschel, who is directing the company’s cleanup. “But we’re moving into a passive phase now, and some areas are probably better left alone so they can naturally recover.”
Foss Maritime reported Dec. 30 that 4,800 gallons of oil had spilled into Puget Sound at Point Wells near Richmond Beach. One of the company’s refueling barges was being filled before a trip to a refinery near Tacoma.
Company officials say they’re ready for state and federal officials to complete a final inspection of the beach restoration and cleanup project. Officials from both levels of government must declare the estuary and surrounding grounds environmentally clean.
Suquamish Tribal members say they’re concerned about Foss’ scaling back its work, especially as geoduck and clam beds — part of a $2 million annual industry for the tribe — remain closed due to health concerns.
Harvesting is off-limits until the state Department of Health can verify that oil toxins are no longer present.
During the past month, cleanup crews have hosed down the beach, pumped out pockets of oil trapped under sediment and hand-cleaned cobblestones. Efforts in January focused on mopping up oil from the sea as well as the estuary.
At times, as many as 70 workers removed oily debris from the beach while 50 more in boats skimmed oil off the water’s surface.
While two investigations — one led by the Coast Guard and the other by the state Department of Ecology — continue, Foss officials say they believe they’ve done all the work they can.
Another healing service at nearby Camp Indianola, organized to help area residents find closure, will be at 3 p.m. tomorrow.
Led by Earth Ministry, a Christian environmental nonprofit, boaters flying purple “penance pennants” will meet at Point Wells and will follow the oil-spill trail to Camp Indianola for the ceremony.
On Tuesday, Peschel said, he hopes a meeting between Foss, state and federal regulators and tribal members will resolve any remaining cleanup details. He also said he expects federal and state investigators to return next week to inspect the beach and estuary for a final progress report.
“They’re either going to say it’s clean; it’s not clean and here’s what we need to do; or it’s not clean enough but we’ll let nature handle it,” Peschel said.
Foss Maritime has spent more than $1 million on cleanup, company officials have said.
State Ecology officials are still months from determining a cause of the accident.
Coast Guard officials say they will take about a month to review details of the case before releasing their report.
Depending on the results of both investigations, state and federal officials could seek punitive measures for damage to natural resources.
Tribal members also say they are considering legal action against Foss Maritime for damage to the clam and geoduck beds.
Foss has offered to settle damage claims with individual landowners between Indianola and Point Jefferson, but to date, no individual claims have been filed, Foss officials said.
Ecology officials say at least 17 animals and birds were recovered. Two grebes survived and were released back into the wild.
Thirteen birds and two seals died either at sea or after being recovered, Ecology spokesman Larry Altose said.
Clamming in the area will continue to be restricted indefinitely until further sampling can be done. Health officials say they’re afraid trapped oil will come loose when warmer temperatures return.
Tribal members say they know nature will heal the beach and estuary in time, but until then, they will continue to feel a sense of loss.
“As one individual who uses this place for spiritual ceremony, I feel I’ve no other place to go now,” Wandrey said.