WA Ecology adds fine to list of liabilities for 2022 fishing boat diesel spill in Salish Sea

A Mount Vernon man has been ordered to pay an $18,000 fine because more than 1,300 gallons of diesel fuel leaked into the Salish Sea when his 58-foot fishing boat sank two years ago off San Juan Island, in critical habitat for orcas, salmon and other wildlife.

In addition to the fine, the state Department of Ecology is seeking reimbursement for its costs of $444,473.05 from Michael Johnston, owner of the Aleutian Isle. There will also be a state Natural Resources Damage Assessment of $183,786.27, Ecology said in an emailed statement Wednesday.

Johnston has 30 days to appeal, Ecology said.

“Johnston actively participated in cleanup efforts and fully cooperated with Ecology’s investigation. This penalty is based on strict liability under Washington state law for spills to Washington waters, regardless of fault. Ecology’s investigation did not find that the spill was caused by negligent or reckless operation,” Ecology said in the statement.

A majority of the response costs were paid by the U.S. Coast Guard from the National Pollution Liability Trust Fund, Ecology said.

The incident began Aug. 13, 2022, when the Aleutian Isle began taking on water in Haro Strait, off the west side of San Juan Island.

Nearby fishing boats rescued Johnston and his four crew members, and no injuries were reported.

The boat sank in 200 feet of water, and an estimated 1,328 to 1,528 gallons of diesel spilled.

Cause of the sinking was never determined, Ecology spokeswoman Scarlet Tang told The Bellingham Herald.

Radio station KUOW-FM reported that the Aleutian Isle had run aground the day before it sank during an extreme low tide in Anacortes.

“As responders arrived on scene, a 1.75-mile sheen was reported and threatened crossing the international border into Canadian waters. The vessel also sank in a location that is frequented by the endangered southern resident killer whale during the months of August and September,” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its assessment of the incident.

Several seabirds were coated in floating oil, Ecology said. Several government and nonprofit agencies monitored a large pod of orcas that were sighted in nearby waters, but none were harmed, according to reports.

In all, the efforts to remove the oil and raise the sunken boat took 42 days.