COUPEVILLE: Port finds old fuel leak (WNT)
Luisa Loi reports from the Port of Coupeville board meeting of Dec. 27, 2023 for the Whidbey News-Times.
The installation of a new underground fuel tank for the Port of Coupeville Wharf is currently on hold following the discovery of diesel and gasoline contamination under the site, which might cost the port thousands of dollars to remediate.
The leak was found on Dec. 11, 2023 near the landward end of the raised path to the wharf. After removing the old tank — which held 1,800 gallons of diesel and 1,200 gallons of regular fuel — from the ground, workers began expanding the hole to accommodate the new, larger tank and smelled petroleum vapors, according to information presented during a board of commissioners meeting on Dec. 27. A soil test later revealed diesel and gasoline contamination, with the gasoline exceeding cleanup levels.…
Originally, the port was set to pay $246,465 for the tank replacement, conducted by private contractor Ultra Northwest. Now the port is facing the possibility of paying a total of $347,209 — sales tax included — if further soil tests show a wider contamination. In that case, the port would have to pay $72,661 to excavate a 20-by-30-foot area that is 11 feet deep, according to Michalopoulos and a change order proposal that was approved by the board on Dec. 27.
They Said It
Executive Director Chris Michalopoulos said the contamination was found on the southern side of the tank, away from the water. “I’m not worried about any of that reaching the ocean,” he said.
Because the contamination was found on port property, the Department of Ecology established that the port has the duty to clean it up, regardless of the source. “One thing is sure: that we have to clean it up no matter what,” Michalopoulos said.
When it comes to the source, Michalopoulos assured the leak did not come from the tank that was just removed. In fact, upon inspection, it did not show any leaks, and the soil around it was clean. It was only when workers dug deeper that they found the contamination, but that did not come from the tank before, either. Michalopoulos said he read a report stating that the previous tank, removed in 1994, did not leak and the soil around it was clean.
Instead, he said there is a chance it came from fuel tanks that were once located at the corner of Northwest Coveland Street and Northwest Alexander Street. If that were the case, the leak might have contaminated a much larger area.
“That can be quite a cleanup project,” Michalopoulos said.
