Port Orchard fuel sheen incident traced to private property
Published 1:30 am Thursday, November 20, 2025
The city of Port Orchard says it has responded to a fuel sheen discovered Nov. 14 in the 700 block of Prospect Street that entered city streets, the municipal stormwater system and ultimately reached Sinclair Inlet.
Per the city, the source of the sheen was traced to a private property in the area. Public Works director Denis Ryan said city staff observed the sheen during heavy rain and discovered the source was coming out of the ground from what was later determined to be an abandoned in-ground heating oil tank.
“Public Works operations quickly responded, Department of Ecology was notified and contact was made with the property owner,” Ryan said. He said crews utilized absorbent, filter socks and oil diapers to contain and absorb the fuel. The Department of Ecology’s marine unit contained the sheen in Sinclair Inlet. Ryan said that once notified, the property owner contacted an emergency mitigation company to pump out the heating oil tank, and “in all 600 gallons of liquid was removed.”
City staff used best management practices to manage the product within the storm system and the public right-of-way. Ecology deployed absorbent booms near the Port of Bremerton boat launch to capture and absorb fuel material reaching the inlet.
In response to whether the department is considering infrastructure improvements to reduce the impact of similar spills, Ryan said the city has identified areas in the downtown area where treatment facilities, such as modular wetland or filter cartridge systems, “will be eventually installed.” He said these would provide a collection method to help with minor spills prior to discharge into Sinclair Inlet.
Ryan said the incident did not strain the department’s resources. “The city is prepared for illicit discharges. When these do occur, we prioritize the response to limit these conditions as soon as possible,” he said. He added that the city keeps inventory on spill response equipment and utilizes a spill response trailer in coordination with the Port of Bremerton and the Ecology. “These nearby, readily available resources were critical to response,” Ryan said.
Regarding long-term upgrades, Ryan said, “Our spill response capabilities are appropriate for our community; we do participate in cooperative planning for events with our neighboring communities and state agencies so we can provide coordinated regional response as needed.”
City officials said the response focused on minimizing environmental impact and protecting water quality in Sinclair Inlet. “We are taking this situation very seriously and are working closely with our partners at Ecology and the property owner to ensure a swift and effective response,” the city said in a statement.
