Cleanup from last week's diesel fuel spill at Dash Point State Park wrapped up today, and the day-use area - closed since
April 30 - reopened May 7.

Fuel spilled in the early evening of April 29 from a 300-gallon tank owned by a contractor performing work for the Washington State
Department of Transportation (WSDOT) on a the F.B. Hoit Bridge along State Route 509 through the park.

Crews removed 250 tons of potentially impacted soil, asphalt, curbs and rip rap, and replaced them with clean materials. To access
contaminated areas, a cleanup contractor cut through and repaired small areas of a parking lot and road.

The cleanup also involved the removal of trees and other vegetation along Thames Creek, which flows through the park. New native
plants will be planted along the restored stream bank next week.

Erosion-control mats and fences remain in place in the meantime.

Dash Point State Park is a day-use and camping park on Puget Sound. The day-use portion of the park was closed to the public during
the cleanup. Regular park hours - 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. - resumed on May 8.

The Washington Department of Ecology supervised the cleanup. The WSDOT contractor hired an environmental cleanup firm. WSDOT provided additional technical support for the cleanup.

"Everyone involved cooperated in full, and we achieved a successful and prompt cleanup," said Shannon Dickson of Ecology's spills
program, who oversaw the response effort.

Most of the spilled diesel fuel soaked into the soil, but some entered the creek and flowed into Puget Sound, creating sheen - a thin
coat of fuel floating on the water - that at one point covered a half-mile by half-mile area offshore. That sheen dissipated by late
morning on April 30.

Crews placed diesel-absorbent materials along the creek and adjacent beaches and tidal areas and removed leaves, twigs and other
natural debris contaminated by the fuel. By mid-week the creek and beaches showed no remaining signs of the spill. There were no reports of harm to fish or wildlife.

Ecology has launched an investigation to determine what caused the incident and how to better prevent similar spills in the future.

Prevention, preparedness and response to fuel and other oil spills are parts of Ecology's commitment to protect against toxic threats to
people and the environment and to meet the state's goal of protecting and restoring Puget Sound by 2020.