Two fishing vessels were reported leaking undetermined amounts of fluid on the West End today.
The sinkings were unrelated, with one in Neah Bay and the other at LaPush.
Information is scare in both cases, as Coast Guard crews continue to investigate the spills.
A small fishing boat, the Neptune, sank at a Neah Bay dock Wednesday night, leaking a substance that caused a sheen at Mackinaw Marina on Thursday morning, the Coast Guard said.
The crew at Coast Guard Station Neah Bay was containing the sheen with a boom today after reporting it at 6:30 a.m.
The amount and type of substance that created the sheen was unknown, the Coast Guard said.
A 25-foot small response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Neah Bay was launched to investigate the sunken boat after the owner and operator reported it had sunk at 9:25 p.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard said.
There were no reports of pollution at that time.
Members of the Incident Management Division from Coast Guard Sector Seattle are working with the state Department of Ecology and local officials to investigate the spill.
Meanwhile, another fishing vessel, the Miss Clarissa, has grounded between two piers at LaPush.
It had leaked about 10 gallons of hydraulic fluid, said John Hanley, a Coast Guard Lieutenant from Station Seattle, today.
“It was taking on water last night,” Hanley said. “It was towed into the pier off LaPush.”
The grounded Miss Clarissa was submerged up to its pilot house today.
It had been surrounded by a boom today, and contains about 200 gallons of hydraulic fluid and between 100 and 150 gallons of diesel, Hanley said.
The Coast Guard is working with Ecology and tribal officials to coordinate the cleanup and salvage of the vessel, Hanley said.
The size of the Miss Clarissa and the Neptune were not known by Coast Guard officials on as of 1 p.m. today.
Investigations are ongoing.
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com
