Dominion Could Face $1.3 Million Fine for Oil Spill: Report

PHOTO: Potomac River photo taken Friday, Feb. 5 by Jayne Deichmeister, @DOEE_DC

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State officials tell the Associated Press that Dominion Virginia Power could face up to $1.3 million in fines from an oil spill at Roach’s Run that made its way into the Potomac River and killed 29 birds.

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality issued a notice of violation for the spill, a step to ensure that the power company is held accountable for the spill.

A transformer failure at a substation in Crystal City led to the release of 13,500 gallons of mineral oil.

“If it is determined a fine is appropriate, we’d have to reach an agreement with Dominion,” Virginia Department of Environmental Quality spokesman Bill Hayden told the Associated Press. “It’s a civil penalty, and under state law, it has to be negotiated. ... The maximum fine is $100 per gallon.”

The Unified Command announced Friday it has concluded the emergency response phase of the oil response at Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary near Arlington and is transitioning into a remediation project led by Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

An oil sheen from the spill could be seen from north of Reagan National Airport to past the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in the days following the spill in late January.

The Coast Guard and the Department of Energy and Environment will remain available for support but will not have an active role in the remediation phase, the Command said.

Also read: Dominion Power Takes Responsibility for Potomac River Oil Spill

After more than two weeks of response operations, no additional sheening has been observed, and no additional impacted wildlife has been reported, the Command announced.

In total, eight miles of shoreline were impacted, and there were 29 wildlife fatalities.

Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research is scheduled to release the first 20 rehabilitated birds back into the wild at Belle Haven Park (see map below) at noon Monday.

Entities involved included:

• DC Department of Energy and Environment
• Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
• Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
• U.S. Coast Guard Sector Baltimore
• U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team
• National Pollution Funds Center
• U.S. Department of the Interior
• U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
• U.S. Park Service
• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
• National Oceanic and Aeronautic Administration
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Arlington County Fire Department
• Arlington County Public Works
• Metropolitan Washington Airport Administration
• Maryland Department of Environment
• Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research
• Dominion Virginia Power

“This has been a true team effort across and within all of our agencies, and I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported this response,” said Lt. David Ruhlig, operations section chief. “Our efforts spanned five jurisdictions and at least 16 governmental agencies, each within their own concerns and specializations. Our common focus on protecting public safety and the environment was the driving force behind this response.”

Twenty birds will be released at Belle Haven Park Monday: