Painting contractor fined for diesel spill into Puget Sound last April

A painting contractor has been fined $1,600 for a small oil spill last April in Dash Point State Park.

The state Department of Ecology, which assessed the fine, also charged $10,345 for the state's costs in overseeing the spill response.

The diesel spill, which flowed through the park and into Puget Sound, caused the closure of day-use areas at the park in Federal Way.

Nearly 300 gallons of fuel flowed out of a tank owned by a painting contractor who was doing work for the Washington State Department of Transportation on a state highway bridge that crosses over the park, according to the state Department of Ecology.

The sheen — a thin coat of oil floating on the water — at one point covered a half-mile by half-mile area off shore, based on aerial views, officials estimated.

The tank where the spill occurred was owned by Long Painting, which cooperated in the spill cleanup, said the Department of Ecology. That involved the removal and replacement of 250 tons of potentially contaminated soil, asphalt, curbs and riprap. The company also restored natural vegetation along the creek.

Ecology investigators determined that vandalism to a pump on the tank caused the spill.

Dash Point State Park is a 398-acre camping park with 3,300 feet of saltwater shoreline on Puget Sound. The park offers an amphitheater and areas for mountain biking, bird watching and picnics, among other activities.

Long Painting can appeal the fine to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board.