Written by the Pro-Enviro Team
Proudly serving Washington State with professional and compliant spill response.
When we use vehicles and equipment or work with hazardous materials, accidents happen, and dangerous substances can spill. When that happens, it can pose a risk to land, water and public safety. Whether the spill occurs at your home, business or public property, it is your legal responsibility to report it to the Washington State Department of Ecology. If you don’t, there could be costly legal penalties.
What Do I Do if I Spill Oil?
At Pro-Enviro, we handle spill recovery regularly and understand that accidents happen. It’s unfortunate, but fast action can prevent a bad situation from becoming a significant environmental hazard and expensive spill cleanup. Here’s what you do if you’re responsible for a spill:
Stop the Spill
If possible, stop the spill at the source as soon as possible. If it is not safe to attempt to stop a spill, like in a roadway accident where a vehicle is on fire, call emergency services immediately.
Ensure Your and Everyone Else’s Safety
Warn others in the area about the spill. If it is caused by a vehicle accident, mark off the area the best you can and make sure you shut off vehicles and any other ignition sources.
Contain the Spill
If it’s safe to do so, contain the spill so it doesn’t continue to spread. An emergency spill kit is vital for any fleet manager, owner and driver. It’s also a good idea to have one if you work on vehicles or equipment at home or on private property. An emergency spill kit contains the things you need to keep a spill in one place.
Spill containment is critical because it minimizes environmental impact. Spill containment is especially important if the spill is near a storm drain or waterway. In addition, quick spill containment results in smaller cleanup, which can save you money and headaches.
Report the Spill
As soon as you know you’re safe and have done what you safely can to stop and contain the spill, report the spill. If it seems like a minor oil spill and you’re not sure if you should report it or not, call anyway. There are no penalties for reporting a spill you didn’t need to report, but there are massive penalties and even legal consequences for not reporting one.
The Department of Ecology gives these numbers to call when you must report a spill:
- Washington Emergency Management Division at 1-800-258-5990
- The National Response Center at 1-800-424-8802
In addition, they provide a detailed chart on very specific types of hazardous spills and the departments and agencies you should call. Learn more about reporting different types of spills.
Calling for Spill Cleanup
Once the spill is reported, you’ll likely receive instructions on the next steps. If you’re wondering, “What do I do if I spill oil?” the answer is usually cleaning it up!
First, you must contact and hire an approved spill response contractor. That’s Pro-Enviro by FleetEasy! We are a certified, compliant hazardous-materials and spill-response contractor and can help clean up the mess.
The Cost of Spill Cleanup
Depending on the situation, you or your company will be responsible for paying for the spill cleanup. If you spill oil or hazardous substances into a storm drain or waterway, there might be additional costs. For example, you might be responsible for paying for a natural resource damage assessment or reimbursing the state for their response and investigation of the accident.
In addition, if the spill was caused by a violation of a law or regulation in Washington State, you might face a penalty.
When you work with Pro-Enviro, we provide you with a detailed and transparent estimate for the spill recovery work. It includes an itemized list of equipment, materials and labour required for the spill cleanup. If we discover any unforeseen issues, we will alert you immediately and make adjustments to your estimate so you don’t receive a surprise cost on your invoice.
Have questions? We’d love to answer them.
Contact Pro-Enviro by FleetEasy at:
253-245-5455
dispatch@proenviro247.com
You can also learn more on our spill recovery blog.
