KENNEWICK, Wash – The Washington State Department of Ecology (ECOLOGY) issued a notice of penalty stemming from a fire that destroyed two boats and their slips at the Clover Island Yacht Club in December of 2022.
Ecology said in its release that the man has been fined for polluting the water with oil and neglecting to contain, collect or remove it along with failing to notify the Coast Guard.
According to the Kennewick Fire Department, crews contained the fire on December 7, 2022 and shifted their focus on environmental protection by placing a spill containment boom on the water.
Ecology said it had to hire a contractor to clean up an estimated 12-23 gallons of oil that spilled from the boat slip where the fire originated. Ecology further said that the owner of that boat slip received the $2,600 penalty under the following charges: RCW 90.48.080, RCW 90.56.280, RCW 90.56.340
The boat slip was closed for a month. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.