What to do if you spill oil or hazardous substances

If a spill occurs

1. Stop the spill and warn others in the area immediately.
2. Shut off any ignition sources, including cigarettes.
3. Contain the spill.
4. Report the spill immediately to:
   • Washington Emergency Management Division at 1-800-258-5990
   • The National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802

There are no penalties for reporting a spill unnecessarily, but there may be significant penalties for not reporting one.

Reporting different types of spills

Cleaning up spills

Find an approved response contractor

If you spill, you will need to hire a state-approved hazmat or primary response contractor to clean up your spill.

• Get a list of approved response contractors

Cleanup costs and assessing damages

If you spill oil or hazardous substances to state waters, in addition to paying for cleanup costs and claims from third parties, Washington state may require you or your company to pay:

• A natural resource damage assessment.
• Reimbursement of the state’s expenses to respond, assess, and investigate the incident.
• A penalty for violation of the state’s law or rule.

A party responsible for a threat of a spill may still be required to reimburse the state for the cost of responding to the threat. For more information on each of these costs, review the information provided in the links below.

• State costs for spills
• Assessing oil spill damage
• Vessel oil spill penalties
• Enforcement
• Key Washington state spill statutes

Laws and rules for spills

• Chapter 173-303-145 WAC, Spills and discharges into the environment
• Chapter 173-182-260 WAC, Contingency planning: Notification and call-out procedures
• Chapter 173-340-300 WAC, Model Toxics Control Act—Cleanup: Site discovery and reporting
• Chapter 70.105D.110 RCW, Releases of hazardous substances—Notice—Exemptions
• Chapter 90.56.280 RCW, Duty to notify coast guard and division of emergency management of discharge