Port of Astoria oil spill spurs containment, cleanup process
Published 2:17 pm Monday, June 1, 2026
An abandoned underwater fuel line began leaking oil into the Columbia River on Friday near the Port of Astoria’s Pier 2. Port workers, with aid from the U. S. Coast Guard and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality worked over the weekend to contain and clean it up. Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist William Kirk said the primary focus at the scene is to “protect public health and minimize the impact to the environment.”
As of noon on Monday, the leak had been contained, according to Port Executive Director Will Isom. Work has now shifted to cleaning up — and quantifying — the spill. “It’s hard to determine the total quantity of the fuel that spilled, but it wasn’t as if it was a garden hose that was left on,” he said, referring to the 12-inch in diameter fuel line that is more like a pipe.
What happened
On Friday, the port received a report from Da Yang, one of its seafood processors that they had seen a “small amount” of oil near the pier, according to Isom. He said port staff investigated and saw the sheen on the water, too. They called in GrayMar Environmental Services LLC, an environmental contractor which specializes in containing oil spills and fuel leaks.
Officials said they put out 2,600 feet of “containment boom,” a temporary floating barrier designed to control, divert, or corral oil spills, to stop what was determined to be heavy fuel oil, sometimes called bunker fuel, from escaping into the Columbia River. Officials also began to use what Isom described as “absorbent sausages” designed to soak up the oil that had already leaked. In addition, divers were successful in disconnecting the submerged section of pipeline from the pier, capped it and plugged the pier-side section to prevent any further release. According to the Coast Guard, “no additional discharge was observed during these operatioins.”
Over the weekend, Isom said that GrayMar had notified the port that the spill was larger than originally thought. Members from the Coast Guard and the Oregon DEQ , who had previously been alerted of the spill, were brought in to help contain it.
A spill like this can cause a myriad of problems exacerbated by the river itself, said DEQ spokesperson Michael Loch. “When oil is spilled into water, currents and tides can cause the oil to spread. While each incident is unique, spills can impact water quality, sediment, fish and wildlife and their habitats,” he said.
How it began
The leak came from a 50-foot length of an abandoned fuel line measuring 12 inches in diameter and filled with leftover bunker fuel, said Isom. Bunker fuel is a type of fuel used on large cargo ships. According to Joanne Rideout of The Ship Report, it is the heavy residual fuel left over from the refinement of crude oil.
According to Loch, it all happened when a structure supporting “a previously unknown legacy fueling pipeline system beneath Pier 2 failed.” That then resulted in oil discharging from the exposed section of the pipeline.
Mopping up
Cleanup operations continue beneath and around the pier, with shoreline assessment teams surveying affected areas and recovering impacted material. Officials said due to tidal conditions, much of this work must be done during limited operational windows. “Response personnel remain on scene to monitor conditions, assess for any secondary releases from the remaining legacy piping infrastructure, and continue cleanup efforts,” the Coast Guard posted on social media.
The response is being conducted in close coordination with the Port of Astoria, NOAA, the Oregon DEQ and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Officials said they remain committed to minimizing environmental impacts while reducing disruptions to port operations and local fishing activities. Officials said they will continue to monitor and assess the situation.
“Any issue like this is a big deal,” said Isom, “I think we’re fortunate on this one that it was in an area that could be contained and that the quantity of the spill although we don’t know the exact number, it was likely very small.”
This is a breaking news story, check back for updates.