Members of the Clallam Marine Resources Committee and tribal and port representatives described the July fuel-truck crash into Indian Creek as an acute environmental emergency that killed large numbers of fish and other aquatic life and exposed gaps in local response capacity. Jamestown S’Klallam representatives and MRC volunteers were among the first on scene, meeting participants said, and Ecology and other agencies later mobilized response teams.

The creek incident moved quickly from scene report to urgent discussion at the Clallam MRC meeting. Committee members said roughly 2,000 gallons of gasoline and 400–500 gallons of diesel were involved in the event; they reported heavy fish kills, visible contamination trapped in log jams and stream pools, and strong fumes that made working conditions hazardous. Meeting participants described immediate wildlife impacts, including dead salmon, lamprey and other species found in affected pools and gravels.

Tribal and local responders described first-hand work at the site. Jamestown tribal members and other local volunteers were among those initially helping with immediate response tasks; MRC members then coordinated images and observations with state Ecology staff to support evidence collection and triage. Port of Port Angeles staff said the port sent oil-response trailers on request and is planning to expand pre-positioned equipment and trailers to reduce response times.

Multiple speakers at the meeting criticized the lag between the crash and the arrival of larger response teams. Participants said response assets and staff took many hours to arrive, hampering immediate containment and salvage. The group discussed barriers to rapid response in narrow, brushy stream systems: access, hazardous fumes, and the need for trained personnel and appropriate protective equipment. Meeting participants emphasized that volunteers must have proper safety certification (HazWoper-style training and appropriate protective gear) before participating in wildlife or in-stream response work.

Participants also reported coordination steps under way: Ecology and response contractors were given photos and site information; Ecology planned field crews to attempt targeted cleanup and sample collection; and local governments, ports and tribes were discussing pre-positioning additional trailers and equipment and updating contact lists and geographical response plans (GRPs) to shorten delays for future incidents. Several speakers urged formal after-action review and changes to planning for stream crossings and roadways that carry hazardous cargo.

The committee stopped short of formal votes or policy actions at the meeting, instead agreeing to continue coordination, relay information to county and Ecology contacts, and work on improving response inventories and contact lists.

For readers: if you observed oiled wildlife or contaminated stream pools in the Elwha/Indian Creek area, the MRC advised notifying county emergency management or the Department of Ecology’s spill response line so samples and evidence can be collected by official responders.