In a statement Thursday, the USCG said the Aleutian was recovered, evacuated and placed on a salvage barge more than a month after it sank on Saturday, Aug. 13. “We are so happy to see the vessel safely out of the water,” said USCG Cmdr. Kira Moody. Authorities say the vessel, which was carrying about 9,460 liters of diesel, no longer poses a significant threat to the environment. It leaked light diesel fuel after it sank, which experts said was nearly impossible to clean up. The Coast Guard had crews working to keep whales and birds away from the spill site, while divers worked to contain the fuel. A major concern was the location of the spill, as it was in the middle of critical habitat for the killer whale, an endangered species that often feeds on chinook salmon off San Juan Island. “Although the vessel has been removed from the water, we will continue to monitor for any residual fuel that could affect the shoreline or wildlife,” said Dave Byers, on-site coordinator with the Washington Department of Ecology. An oil spill appears in the water near San Juan Island, Wash. on Saturday, August 13, 2022. A fishing vessel that sank off the coast of the island near Vancouver Island has now been safely removed according to the US Coast Guard. (US Coast Guard) While the fuel spill was in US waters because there was a possibility it could move to Canada, both the US and Canadian coast guards responded. US officials said the vessel was recovered from more than 75 meters of water on September 17 “after weeks of complex diving operations”. They said the vessel was towed to San Juan Island’s Mitchell Bay, where divers and response crews prepared it for its final recovery from the water on Wednesday. After a recovery operation that lasted more than 40 days, the Aleutian Isle is on a barge and no longer poses a threat to the environment. It will soon be transferred to a mainland facility for further investigation into the causes of the sinking. pic.twitter.com/GRpvfbkBHG —@EcologyWA On Thursday, the US Coast Guard said pollution responders on the scene reported no visible sheen in the area of ​​the incident. Officials said the vessel would be taken to a mainland facility for further investigation into what caused it to sink and whether its crew would face fines for violating water pollution laws. The USCG says anyone who spots oiled animals can call the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-22-BIRDS.