Effort underway to clean up diesel fuel spill that went into storm drains, Lake Washington

NEWCASTLE, Wash. — Up to a 200-gallon diesel fuel spill occurred at a Shell station in Newcastle and went down into storm drains that feed into Lake Washington Monday night, authorities said.

The Washington Department of Ecology said Newcastle Public Works will pump the catch basins and Mercer police were going to deploy booms on Lake Washington and return in the morning.

“Too dark to see but they can smell diesel in the water,” the department tweeted.

A Bellevue Fire Department officer said the spill occurred at about 8 p.m. He said the spill occurred when tanks were being filled underground, and the fuel overflowed the tanks. He said estimates on the spill ranged from 30 gallons to 200 gallons.