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Department of Ecology News Release - March 5, 2008
08-057
OLYMPIA – Beachcombers walking along a stretch of shoreline from Ocean Shores to as far north as Ozette are finding small unmarked containers washed up on the sand, generating a lot of interest and even some concern about the contents.
While their exact source remains a question, responders from the Washington Department of Ecology are pretty sure they know what the canisters likely held: fumigants used to kill pests in the cargo holds of ocean-going ships.
Because the potential risk to human health depends upon the amount of exposure, Ecology and the Coast Guard are partnering to safely collect the orphaned containers. Anyone who spots one of these silver, one-liter containers should note its location and call Ecology’s environmental hotline in Olympia: 360-407-6300.
“Because the containers might still have some chemicals inside, it’s safer to leave them alone and let people who are trained to carefully handle unknown substances take any risks,” explained Ecology’s spills response supervisor Jim Sachet.
“If someone happened to collect any of these, we’d like to get a call so we can pick them up and safely dispose of the canisters,” Sachet added.
After receiving a photo of the metallic bottles, Ecology staff researched the Web and found similar containers produced by overseas companies. The bottles typically contain 500 fumigant tablets meant to be spread throughout a cargo hold. The bottles are then supposed to be triple washed or aired out for at least 48 hours to disperse the fumigant residue.
Because it’s unclear whether the canisters are empty or if they still have some of the chemicals inside, people should leave the containers alone.
Ecology learned about the mysterious canisters earlier this week. Ocean Shores residents participating in a Dash for Trash event over the weekend spotted the items, and one citizen called Ecology to report the curious find. Several residents though say they’ve seen or heard people talk about the containers for several months.
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Media Contacts:
Kim Schmanke, Ecology media relations, 360-407-6239
Lt. Zeke Lyons, Coast Guard, 503-240-2566
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
