Residents feared pollutants in Bellingham’s water source
Over half of a sunken 98-year-old wooden boat on Lake Whatcom has been removed after spending nearly four months below water.
Residents who frequent the north side of the lake may have noticed a damaged 46-foot boat sitting below the waterline this summer. The vessel, Seaforth, sank off of Lake Whatcom Boulevard on May 29 after a mild windstorm exposed existing structural damage from a boat accident four years ago, Chris Spens, the owner of Seaforth said. Upon its sinking, multiple agencies were alerted, including the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Department of Ecology and Whatcom County Public Works.
“There’s nothing left on board whatsoever, and I have cut off and hauled away all of the superstructure,” Spens said. “As my time off from work and weather will allow, I’ll be removing the rest of it. At this point in time there’s no toxics.”
Spens has owned the Seaforth for 42 years. Up until it sank, it had remained docked in the lake outside of his residence for over 20 years, often getting decorated during the holidays.
Derelict and abandoned vessels can pose significant environmental risks, depending on the amount of pollutants on board and the locations of the sinking site, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s article on marine debris. Abandoned vessels can sit for long periods of time due to the cost and difficulty of removal.
For Lake Whatcom, Bellingham’s drinking water source, a large concern lies in the contaminants that can be released by degrading vessels. Any petroleum-based substances left in a sunken boat’s storage tanks, like oil, lubricant or fuel can release harmful hydrocarbons into a water supply. Hydrocarbons, organic compounds consisting of hydrogen and carbon, can reduce oxygen levels in water and some are known carcinogens, according to an article from Delta Remediation, an environmental services organization.
Lake Whatcom has been on Washington’s Department of Ecology’s 303(d) list for polluted water bodies since 1998 for failing to meet state standards for dissolved oxygen, so further reduction can be very harmful for the lake’s aquatic life.
After the initial sinking of Seaforth, Whatcom County Public Works provided a sorbent boom to be installed in case of any fuel or oil leakage. While Spens said there were no toxic materials left on board, initial reports of the sinking from the sheriff’s office mention a possible spill of less than five gallons of gas, lubricating liquid and oil. The placement of the sorbent boom, a floating tube that contains and absorbs oil and fuel in water, would contain any remnants of toxics on the site.
A spill responder from the Washington State Department of Ecology visited the scene and observed a sheen on the water’s surface, along with the deployed boom, said Jasmin Adams, the publications and web coordinator at the Department of Ecology. There was no confirmation on the contents or cause of the sheen.
“There’s no further action from spills,” Adams wrote in an email.
Spens began the demolishing process on his own the day after the boat sank and removed the majority of its foundation over Labor Day weekend.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources handles reports of sunken vessels through the Derelict Vessel Removal Program.
The program is Washington’s primary method for removing abandoned vessels in the state, according to DNR’s webpage.
“Priority for derelict vessel removal account funds is given to removing derelict vessels that are in danger of sinking, breaking up, blocking navigation channels or that present environmental risks,” the webpage says.
DNR is the lead agency on the case of this vessel in the lake, according to the sheriff’s office, but does not appear to be assisting Spens with the physical removal of his wooden yacht.
This boat presents minimal to no fluid hazard to the lake and sits well off the navigation path, Spens said, posing little risk to human safety.
Owners of vessels at risk of becoming abandoned or worn beyond repair can use DNR’s Vessel Turn-In Program and turn their boats in for safe, and more affordable, disposal.
“I won’t be putting lights on it for Christmas this year,” Spens said.
—By Atlanta Moss