OLYMPIA – Vessels and ships doing business at Washington’s 16 busiest ports in Puget Sound, Columbia River and Grays Harbor generate an estimated $150 billion a year in water-borne trade.

Protecting state waters, aquatic resources, recreation and water-dependent economy is a high priority under Washington state law.

Toward that end, the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) has levied fines totaling $33,250 against two companies whose ships spilled oil while loading and unloading cargo at state ports in March 2009.

“Oil spills are unlike other environmental threats to Washington’s waters,” said Ecology Spills Program Manager Dale Jensen. “In just a few minutes, poor judgment, faulty equipment or other human mistakes can have disastrous economic, environmental and emotional consequences. Our top priority is preventing spills and for years, we have worked closely with industry to meet the Legislative mandate of ‘zero spills’ to our waters.”

Ecology has issued a $17,250 penalty to DS Schiffahrt GmbH & Co. KG of Hamburg, Germany, because its 997-foot containership Hyundai Republic, spilled 159 gallons of hydraulic oil in Tacoma’s Blair Waterway on March 17, 2009.

Ecology also levied a $16,000 fine against Masterbulk Pte Ltd. of Singapore after its 700-foot cargo ship, Heranger, developed a slow seep of hydraulic oil to the Columbia River that continued for 58 hours – from mid-morning March 20 through mid-afternoon March 22, 2009.

The Hyundai Republic incident occurred about 1 p.m. after the vessel’s bow thruster suffered a 3-foot fracture while getting underway at the Port of Tacoma. A bow thruster is a propulsion device designed to assist with maneuverability while a vessel is docking or departing.

Crew members later told Ecology investigators they heard a loud metal breaking noise when the thruster started. A low hydraulic warning light also displayed in the ship’s bridge and engine room. The thruster system was powered down, and the Hyundai Republic got underway about 15 minutes later with the assistance of three tugs.

“The first minutes of any spill are the most critical for mounting an effective response to protect the environment. This incident is alarming because the ship’s master didn’t report the spill until 3 p.m. – after the Hyundai Republic was nearly to Seattle,” said David Byers, who oversees Ecology’s statewide spill response activities.

Byers said state law requires anyone who spills oil to Washington waters to immediately report it.