Port of Olympia fuel dock is 2 months behind schedule

The Port of Olympia commission drilled down on the port’s fuel dock Monday, asking a series of questions about safe fuel pumping and the safety of non-motorized boaters near the fuel pump.

They also learned that the dock, which was planned to open in the spring, is now set to open in mid-June.

That is according to Bill Helbig, the port’s engineering director, who updated the commission on the project during Monday’s commission meeting. Bruce Marshall, the port’s harbor director, talked about how the fuel dock will be operated.

The fuel dock, which sits at the end of A dock at Swantown Marina, is nearly complete. The fuel tanks are buried in the ground west of the site, and the old floats, which supported the dock, have been removed and replaced with concrete floats.

Helbig told the commission the port was supposed to receive the floats from a Bellingham company in December. But after a cold spell hit Whatcom County this winter, manufacturing was delayed because concrete companies in the area shut down, he said.

Helbig said it will probably be about mid-June before the $3.2 million project is complete.

Marshall described various features of the fuel dock. It will have two shut-off valves, and the system will automatically shut down if there’s a breech in a fuel tank or line. The fuel dock will be monitored around the clock by video.

It has 220 feet of dock space, so that six to eight boats can tie up simultaneously and won’t have to jockey around to get in, he said.

Commissioner E.J. Zita said the fuel dock will have four pumps, including a high-speed pump, and the equivalent of 1  1/2 employees. That likely means one full-time person and one part-time person will work as fuel attendants.

Marshall said fuel attendants won’t pump fuel — boat owners will do that.

Fuel attendants will “get the pumps ready, hand the hoses to them, educate them on safe fueling procedures, and make sure they are doing everything right and then turn on the pumps,” he said.

In light of that, Zita raised concerns about the high-speed pump, which will be able to pump 100-some gallons per minute.

Helbig said the high-speed pump is reserved for commercial vessels, such as tugboats, which typically are staffed with someone who can oversee the fueling process. The high-speed pump also locks in place and will come with a “deadman’s switch,” meaning the switch has to be depressed to work. Someone can’t start the high-speed pump and walk away, but will have to stand there to watch it, he said.

“It’s actually better observation and control than the recreational boat fueling process,” he said.

Marshall said spill containment equipment, such as absorbent pads and fuel vent covers, will be stored at the dock. The port also doesn’t want boat owners to “top off” their tanks, he said.

Zita raised concerns about how motorized boats will interact with those using racing shells, row boats and kayaks.

The port is allowing Olympia Area Rowing, which operates near the boat launch, to launch from the north side of the breakwater dock, rather than in the potentially crowded boat launch area, Marshall said.

That’s just the start, Executive Director Ed Galligan said. He said the port continues to talk to the rowing group about potential solutions and is concerned about students learning boating in the area.

“We’re very cognizant of the students down in that area,” he said.

This story was originally published March 28, 2017 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Port of Olympia fuel dock is 2 months behind schedule."