What did it cost to clean up Padden Creek spill in Bellingham? Here’s what we know
Various public agencies and private contractors spent more than $150,000 to address a fuel spill in Padden Creek last summer, after a diesel pump leaked during construction of a culvert and fish ladder that are designed to boost salmon populations in the environmentally sensitive stream that runs from Lake Padden to Bellingham Bay.
Highest costs to remove fuel-contaminated soil were borne by the state Department of Ecology, which led a “unified command” of agencies responding to the spill, including the city of Bellingham, Lummi Nation, the Nooksack Indian Tribe and Faber Construction.
Faber Construction is working for the city of Bellingham on a $4.3 million project to widen a culvert near 14th Street and remove a fish ladder near 12th Street in an effort to help spawning salmon and other fish. A diesel pump the company was using to divert water leaked 344 gallons Aug. 3 and another 332 gallons Aug. 7, according to previous Herald reporting.
The pump was unattended both times when its fuel line broke, unified command said in previous statements. Officials said they counted several dead fish at the spill site, including three coho salmon and two cutthroat trout. No fuel reached Bellingham Bay, officials said.
That construction project was delayed by the August fuel spills and by recent heavy rain from a series of atmospheric river storms that hit Western Washington. Completion is now set for early next year.
Ecology spent about $145,000 on the cleanup for two spills on Aug. 3 and Aug. 7, spokeswoman Scarlett Tang told The Herald.
Direct costs to the city of Bellingham were about $4,200 in additional staff hours, Public Works Department spokeswoman Stefanie Cilinceon told The Herald.
“Much of the cost associated with the spill was borne by our contractors and other responding agencies,” Cilinceon said in an email.
Officials with Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Indian Tribe weren’t immediately able to provide a dollar figure for their costs. Faber Construction could not be contacted to discuss the company’s expenses.
No official cause or blame for the incident has been assigned because it is still under investigation, Tang said in an email.
“Decisions about responsible party(ies) and whether a penalty will be assessed will be made at the end of the investigation. It’s hard to say when that will be. Investigations and natural resource damage assessments are time-intensive processes that could take a year or more, as Ecology always has multiple investigations in progress,” she said. “If applicable, we typically issue a penalty, an order for reimbursement of expenses, and/or a natural resources damage assessment simultaneously.”
