(Everett, Washington) Governor Bob Ferguson has declared a state of emergency after a leak in the Olympic Pipeline cut off a major jet fuel supply line to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, forcing Washington state to relax trucking rules and airlines to change refueling plans to keep planes flying.
The emergency proclamation, issued on November 19, 2025, came eight days after the leak was first discovered in Snohomish County and as the pipeline operator, BP Pipelines North America, kept the line shut with no timeline for restarting it. State officials warned that if normal deliveries do not resume by Saturday, November 22, operations at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, known as SEA Airport, could face heavy disruption.
The problem began on November 11, 2025, when workers performing routine maintenance on a stretch of the Olympic Pipeline between Everett and the City of Snohomish noticed a sheen in a drainage ditch. BP Pipelines North America, which operates the 400-mile line, reported the incident and launched cleanup work. Crews put out boom and oil recovery equipment and started digging to get a visual look at the pipe. During that cleanup, responders made a second worrying discovery. The Washington State Department of Ecology said,
“While doing cleanup, responders came across some additional product (which was reported to us as diesel). Out of caution, BP shut down the line.”
That shutdown halted the flow of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel along one of the Northwest’s main fuel arteries, a system that supplies key locations in Washington and Oregon. With the Olympic Pipeline offline, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport lost a major source of jet fuel, pushing airport managers and state officials into a race to prevent knock-on effects for passengers and airlines heading into the busy travel period.
SEA Airport began adjusting operations almost immediately. On November 12, 2025, one day after the leak was found, airport officials told inbound airlines to “ferry” fuel — industry shorthand for arriving with full or near-full tanks — instead of depending on refueling once on the ground in Seattle. That strategy is meant to lower demand on the airport’s on-site fuel system and stretch existing supplies while the pipeline remains out of service.
Officials stressed that flight schedules remained stable as of November 20, 2025. The Port of Seattle, which oversees the airport, said,
“Aircraft fueling is managed by the airlines, and there are no impacts to flights at this time. SEA operations is working closely with airline partners and Washington state departments on contingency plans.”
The Port’s statement underscored that, for now, travelers are still seeing planes take off and land on time, even as fuel managers behind the scenes work under growing pressure.
Governor Ferguson’s emergency order is aimed at giving those fuel managers more options. The proclamation temporarily suspends state rules that limit how many hours commercial motor vehicle drivers can work when hauling jet fuel. By lifting those caps, the state hopes to increase the amount of fuel that can be trucked to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from other sources while the Olympic Pipeline remains shut. Announcing the move, Ferguson said,
“We are in close communication with our state and federal partners. This declaration will help the airport maintain its fuel supply while the pipeline is offline and limit disruptions to travelers.”
The governor’s declaration pulls in several agencies to coordinate the response. The Washington State Department of Commerce, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are all involved in monitoring the situation, overseeing cleanup and supporting energy and transportation planning. BP Pipelines North America is leading the repair and containment work at the leak site, but as of November 20, the company had not provided a date for when the line might restart.
On the ground between Everett and Snohomish, cleanup continues in and around the drainage ditch where the problem first surfaced. After the sheen was spotted, crews rolled out floating boom to contain the product and brought in oil recovery gear to remove it from the water. Excavation at the site allows engineers to inspect the pipe directly, assess any damage and look for the source of the leak. The Department of Ecology, which is tracking the environmental side of the response, has said the exact amount of leaked and recovered product is still under review. State officials expect more detailed figures once BP and the agencies complete their ongoing assessments.
So far, authorities have reported no injuries, evacuations or direct human health impacts linked to the leak. Homes and businesses in the area have not been ordered to leave, and there have been no official reports of fuel entering drinking water systems. But with the Olympic Pipeline shut down, the main concern has shifted from the immediate leak site to the wider fuel network that helps keep the region’s transport and economy running.
The Olympic Pipeline is a key supply route for refined products such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel in the Pacific Northwest. Its closure has ripple effects that stretch beyond the fence line of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Fuel distributors and state energy planners are watching demand at other terminals and storage sites in Washington and Oregon in case the outage shifts pressure onto alternative routes. While those facilities are not detailed in public updates, officials have made clear that they view the shutdown as a serious regional energy issue, not just an airport problem.
Within the state government, the emergency proclamation allows a faster, more flexible response as agencies work with industry. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission can help oversee safe operation of increased fuel trucking, while the Department of Commerce looks at broader energy supply questions. The Department of Ecology remains focused on environmental protection and spill recovery. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s involvement adds federal oversight, especially around potential impacts to waterways and soil.
At SEA Airport, contingency measures continue to develop day by day. Airlines are adjusting their fuel planning, in some cases loading extra fuel at departure airports so that jets arrive in Seattle needing little or no refueling before their next leg. The Port of Seattle says SEA operations staff are in constant contact with airline partners and Washington state departments as they refine those plans and consider next steps if the pipeline remains offline past the weekend.
The warning from authorities about the November 22 mark reflects the limits of the current stopgap measures. Trucking can bring in extra fuel, but tankers cannot match the volume of a major pipeline over the long term. If jet fuel stocks at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport drop too low, airport and airline officials could face hard choices about adjusting flight schedules, consolidating services or rerouting traffic, even though no such steps have been taken yet.
For now, the message from state leaders and airport managers is one of guarded reassurance. Governor Ferguson has emphasized coordination with federal and state partners. The Port of Seattle has underlined that “there are no impacts to flights at this time,” while still openly planning for less favorable scenarios. The Department of Ecology continues to inform the public about the cleanup, and federal and state agencies say they expect more detail as the investigation into the pipeline leak advances.
Members of the public can follow official updates through state channels such as the Washington State Department of Ecology, which is posting information on the spill response and pipeline status. Further statements are also expected from BP Pipelines North America as engineers learn more from the excavation and inspection work near Snohomish.
As of November 20, 2025, the situation stands at a delicate point: the Olympic Pipeline remains shut, emergency rules for jet fuel trucking are in effect, cleanup and investigation are underway, and flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are still running without cancellations or delays linked to the fuel disruption. The coming days, and especially the approach of Saturday, November 22, will test whether the mix of trucking, fuel-ferrying by airlines and coordinated agency planning is enough to bridge the gap until the pipeline comes back online.
A maintenance-discovered leak on Nov. 11 forced BP to shut the Olympic Pipeline, cutting a major jet fuel route to SEA. Governor Ferguson declared an emergency on Nov. 19, temporarily relaxing trucking-hour limits to increase road deliveries. Airlines were asked to ferry fuel and contingency plans are active. Cleanup and excavation continue near Snohomish; no injuries or flight impacts reported as agencies monitor supply through Nov. 22 and beyond.
