Posted: Tuesday, 12 June 2012 6:04AM
Shellfish Harvest Reopens In Penn Cove After Ship Sinking
COUPEVILLE, Wash. (Metro) -- Most Penn Cove commercial and recreational shellfish areas are open for harvesting again, nearly a month after a derelict ship caught fire and sank, leaking fuel into the water.
Komonews.com reports the State Department of Health reopened the world-famous shellfish beds after rigorous testing.
Only Madrona Beach remains closed because of some slight localized contamination.
The 128-foot vessel Deep Sea caught fire and sank May 12th, in the cove at Whidbey Island.
A crane barge raised the Deep Sea last week, and it was moved to a Ballard shipyard where it's being scrapped.
The state Ecology Department says the spill response by various agencies has cost the state nearly two million dollars, and the local shellfish-harvesting business thousands of dollars in lost sales.
In the meantime, the state is going to try to get the boat's owner, Rory Westmoreland, to pay for the mess.
He could also face criminal charges.
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