Second fuel spill fouls Padden Creek during work to enhance fish passage
A contractor hired to help migrating salmon and other fish in Padden Creek spilled diesel fuel into the water for a second time last week, killing fish forcing most work to stop as cleanup efforts continued, Bellingham officials said last week.
An estimated 332 gallons of diesel leaked from a faulty pump Thursday near the Interurban Trail crossing at 12th Street, the city said in a statement late Friday afternoon. A leak from the same pump on Sunday, Aug. 3, spilled an estimated 344 gallons, for a total of nearly 700 gallons.
The city, its contractor Faber Construction, and the state Department of Ecology are working on a cleanup, the city said online. A trail closure already in effect for construction work was extended to the section between 10th Street/Donovan Avenue and Sixth Street.
“To prevent any further incidents, the contractor is enhancing secondary safety measures at all pump locations and replacing the generator. The spill was contained before it could reach Bellingham Bay. A section of the Interurban Trail/Lower Padden Creek Trail is temporarily closed to ensure public safety and allow cleanup crews access to the site,” the city said.
Photos provided by the city showed absorbent pads near a culvert in the creek and a containment boom across the creek mouth where it empties into Bellingham Bay in Fairhaven.
Faber Construction started July 1 on a project to widen a culvert and remove a fish ladder, replacing it with a natural-looking boulder field to make it easier for salmon to travel the steep hillside.
Neighbor Jennifer Irwin told The Herald that there were dead fish and contaminated plants along the creek. Photos showed a petroleum sheen on the water. City officials said at least two cutthroat trout had been killed.
“Focus Wildlife has been hired as a wildlife responder to monitor for injured wildlife and deter wildlife from entering the affected area. No additional wildlife impacts have been reported since the second leak,” the city said.
This story was originally published August 11, 2025 at 10:43 AM.
