PORT ANGELES — The organization that orchestrated the cleanup of last month’s oil spill in Port Angeles Harbor has been ordered to improve its response plans.
State Department of Ecology investigators said Friday that Washington State Maritime Cooperative’s response to the May 19 oil spill was too slow.
In light of the findings, the cooperative is required to hire an interim response team until it refines its procedures, Ecology Spills Manager Linda Pilkey-Jarvis said.
Ecology began an investigation into the cleanup operation shortly after 500 gallons of oil was spilled during refueling of the Panama-flagged liquid petroleum tanker Gaz Diamond, Ecology spokeswoman Sandy Howard said.
“We felt they could have responded a lot more quickly and effectively,” Pilkey-Jarvis said.
The order does not conclude Ecology’s investigation into the spill; further action could still be announced against the cooperative or the vessel’s operator, Howard said.
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