Elliott Bay spill linked to storm drain

SEATTLE – Investigators have traced the oil sheen in Seattle’s Elliott Bay to a storm drain outfall in the west waterway of the Duwamish River, and arranged for booms to be placed there to prevent further pollution, authorities reported Saturday.

The sheen was spotted Friday by a tugboat on the north side of the bay and reported to the Coast Guard at 7:10 a.m. The Coast Guard, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the state Department of Ecology and the city of Seattle followed up over the weekend, trying to determine the source of the oil.

A Coast Guard news release said the spill involved less than 50 gallons.