What to do if you spill oil or hazardous substances

Dangerous substances can spill to land, water, or air. The sooner a spill is reported, the sooner we can respond. 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:
- 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

Type of spill	Reporting requirements	Required contacts
Oil and hazardous substance spills to water	Report immediately.	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	Report immediately. See full EPCRA reporting requirements.	The State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) at 1-800-258-5990 Your Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) The National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802
Dangerous waste	Report immediately.	Call 911 Notify the appropriate Ecology regional office
Leaking underground storage tanks	Report within 24 hours.	Notify the appropriate Ecology regional office
Oil spills to ground	Report within 90 days. Oil industry contingency plan holders may have different reporting timeframes designated by their contingency plans.	Notify the appropriate Ecology regional office
Spills to air	Report within 90 days.	Notify the appropriate Ecology regional office

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.

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 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 Washington'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 about each of these costs, review the information below.

Laws and rules for spills

Contact information

David Byers
Spill Response Section Manager
david.byers@ecy.wa.gov
360-790-6899

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