Oil-containment barge under construction in Bellingham spills oil

BELLINGHAM - Construction of an oil-containment vessel destined for Alaska has been plagued by minor oil spills in the past few weeks, prompting the state to threaten fines against the builder.

Three spills, each releasing about one quart of oil into Whatcom Waterway, came from leaks in pressurized hydraulic systems on July 24, and Aug. 4 and 6. The state's notice of violation was sent to Superior Energy Services, which is building the oil-containment barge Arctic Challenger at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal, 629 Cornwall Ave.

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