A major oil spill in Puget Sound is an inherently low-probability, high-impact hazard. The Puget Sound is a sensitive ecosystem that nourishes the health, economy, and quality of life of nearly 5.3 million residents. It is a major hub of international and domestic shipping; Washington is also a major oil refining state. Vessel traffic is significant and new types of oil are entering our state. These factors underscore the value of oil spill preparedness, prevention, and response programs across the Puget Sound region.
Success looks like decreasing the amount of oil spilled to the Puget Sound ecosystem by:
- promoting compliance with preventative regulations on oil transportation and facilities,
- developing and testing geographic response plans,
- expanding access to emergency response training and equipment,
- educating the public on oil spill prevention and responsibilities to report a spill,
- rapid and accurate reports when spills do occur,
- advancing programs for oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response, and
- proactive assessment of maritime risk to implement policies and activities help prevent a catastrophic oil spill.
The Emergency Response Equipment Funding Progress Indicator
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measures the percentage of dollars requested for oil spill emergency response equipment that were funded through Department of Ecology’s response equipment grant program, and
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assesses whether Washington State’s existing equipment funding opportunities meet the needs of oil spill emergency responders.
The Oil Spills Progress Indicator
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measures the volume of oil spilled to the environment (including land and surface waters) from all sources in Puget Sound, and
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assesses whether the region is mitigating the volume of oil spilled to the environment over time.
The Oil Spills indicator only tracks reported spills – not all spills are reported, and the rate at which they are reported may vary over time. The Oil Spills indicator also does not define nor measure the risk of an oil spill from the oil industry. The Emergency Response Equipment Funding indicator does not track where funds are distributed spatially across the region and is restricted to the Dept. of Ecology’s equipment grant program. Further, the grant program is available across the state, though response equipment anywhere in the state can be transported to Puget Sound during a spill to assist with response efforts.
Despite these limitations, these indicators provide us with a useful ruler to understand regional progress increasing the capacity of local communities to respond to spills and curbing the amount of oil spilled in Puget Sound.
Select a Progress Indicator in the table below to learn more.
Progress Indicators
| TOPIC PROGRESS INDICATOR | INDICATOR PROGRESS | TARGET STATUS |
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| TOPIC PROGRESS INDICATOR | INDICATOR PROGRESS | TARGET STATUS |
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Key results
From 2018 through 2022, oil spills are a persistent issue across the Puget Sound region.
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Across this period, an average of 34,655 gallons were spilled each year.
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Oil spill volumes vary by year between 2018 through 2022. Volume of oil spilled hit a high in 2020 when 69,132 gallons were spilled; however, 2020 also saw the greatest volume of oil recovered (52 percent recovered).
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The majority (95 percent) of incidents between 2018 through 2022 resulted in less than 42 gallons of oil entering the environment.
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View the locations of reported oil spills through this map (“Reported Incidents” tab).
Over the last four biennia (2015-2023), more than half of the financial need (60 percent) for response equipment has been funded on average each biennium.
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Local communities and response organizations requested an average of $4.35 million from Department of Ecology’s grant program to invest in oil spill response equipment and trainings each biennium. Of that, an average of $2.69 million was distributed to these applicants (60 percent each year).
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View the locations of oil spill emergency response equipment through this map (“Equipment” tab).
What factors affect these Progress Indicators?
Vessel traffic and oil transportation
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Puget Sound is home to five oil refineries and one biofuel refinery which direct roughly 20 billion gallons of oil into and out of Washington state each year.
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From 2018 to 2022, there were an average of 2,006 cargo and passenger vessel transits and 668 tank ships and articulated tug barge transits to Puget Sound ports each year.
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Vessel traffic and movement of oil by vessels, rail and pipelines across Puget Sound directly impacts the frequency and likelihood of oil spill incidents. Washington State, though, does currently have one of the lowest spill rates in the nation.
Oil spill preparedness, prevention, and response programs and plans
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From 2018 to 2022, only 204 oil spills (2.25 percent of all spill incidents) were attributed to regulated sources. This underscores the value of oil spill regulations, prevention, and the work of spill preparedness, prevention, and response partners.
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This also emphasizes the important role that the non-regulated community, i.e. the general public, plays in oil spill prevention. It is vital to remain informed about the environmental risks of recreational activities and take necessary precautions to prevent oil spills.
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If you see or cause an oil spill, report it by calling 1-800-OILS-911. The sooner a spill is reported, the quicker it can be addressed. Even if you are not responsible for the spill, you are encouraged to report it. There are no penalties for reporting a spill in good faith, but failing to report one, if you are responsible, can result in significant penalties.
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The Department of Ecology also works with local communities to develop geographic response plans, which guide the tactical response procedure for individual shores and waterways across Puget Sound. Geographic response plans are important tools; routinely updating and testing tactical procedures helps ensure that local communities are equipped to swiftly respond to oil spills.
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The presence of additional emergency response vessels, like the Neah Bay emergency response towing vessel, can help prevent oil spills by proactively responding to emergency situations. The Department of Ecology tracks deployments of the Neah Bay vessel; the number of deployments can provide an indication of the number of significant maritime incidents.
Grant appropriations and financial need
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The funding available for oil spill emergency response equipment is determined each year by the Washington State Legislature. Ecology can only distribute funds to eligible applicants, as outlined each biennium in the grant guidelines.
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Progress in the Equipment Response Grant Progress Indicator thus depends on the amount of funding available to Ecology, the number of applicants eligible to receive that funding, and the financial need of local partners for response equipment.
What other actions can we take?
The Action Agenda outlines some key opportunities that, if addressed, could decrease the volume of oil entering Puget Sound and increase the capacity of local communities to respond to oil spills. Some of these opportunities are:
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Ensure that geographic response plans are grounded in up-to-date habitat assessments and include response strategies for floating and non-floating oils,
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Improve the long-term funding for local entities and Tribal nations to review, update, and drill geographic response plans,
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Assess emergent types of oils and ensure communities have access to knowledge and technologies to address spills of these new oils,
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Address the need for additional Emergency Response Towing Vessels for accident and oil spill prevention,
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Support policies to strengthen Washington’s ability to prevent, prepare, and respond to oil spills,
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Enhance coordination and communication across local, regional, and transboundary partners with regards to oil spill preparedness, especially as oil tanker traffic increases, and
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Prioritize accurate and effective risk assessments of maritime activities to identify actions that can reduce the risk of catastrophic oil spills.
Contributing Partners
Action Agenda Strategies
Last Updated
4/22/2025 8:23 AM