All oil and hazardous materials spills cause environmental damage. The sooner a spill is reported, the quicker it can be addressed, resulting in less harm.
How to report a spill
How you report a spill depends on if you saw the spill, or are responsible for the spill.
General public
If you see a spill in water, report it by calling 1-800-OILS-911 (Washington Emergency Management Division, 24/7).
You can also use this phone number to report spills to land or air. During regular business hours, you can call the appropriate Ecology regional office.
If you spill
Spills of oil or hazardous materials to water must be reported immediately to help reduce impacts to the environment. Failure to report a spill you're responsible for could result in penalties.
If a spill occurs
- Stop the spill and warn others in the area immediately.
- Shut off any ignition sources, including cigarettes.
- Contain the spill.
- Report the spill immediately to BOTH:
There are no penalties for reporting a spill unnecessarily, but there may be significant penalties for not reporting one.
Reporting different types of spills
| Type of spill |
Reporting requirements |
Required contacts |
| Oil and hazardous substance spills to water |
|
- The National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802
- Washington Emergency Management Division at 1-800-258-5990
|
| Release of hazardous or extremely hazardous substance |
|
|
| Dangerous waste |
|
|
| Leaking underground storage tanks |
|
|
| Oil spills to ground |
- Report within 90 days.
- Oil industry contingency plan holders may have different reporting timeframes designated by their contingency plans.
|
|
| Spills to air |
|
|
Contact information
Report spills to water immediately by calling 1-800-258-5990.
If you spill, you must also call 1-800-424-8802.