In January 2023, a Coleman Oil tank truck swerved to avoid an animal near Colfax, causing its trailer to overturn and spill more than 2,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel. The spill contaminated nearby soils and flowed into a ditch leading to Spring Flat Creek.
The Washington Department of Ecology has fined Coleman Oil $12,000 for the spill and for failing to notify authorities promptly.
Following the spill, responders and contractors recovered 646 gallons of diesel and gasoline mixture, and removed oil-saturated soil that leached oil into the creek and groundwater. An unknown amount of oil reached Spring Flat Creek, about 350 yards downstream from the incident, and oil contaminated soil extended under the roadway, where it could not be removed.
Responders did not observe any oiled wildlife or fish at the time, but the greater Spring Flat Creek area contains species whose habitats may have been affected by spilled oil.
Coleman Oil Company has 30 days to appeal the penalty to Washington’s Pollution Control Hearings Board.