Date of incident: June 10, 1999.
Location: Bellingham, Washington.
Trustees:
Case status: Final restoration plan released September 9, 2002.
Overview: On June 10, 1999, a gasoline pipeline in Bellingham, Washington, owned by the Olympic Pipe Line Company, ruptured and discharged approximately 236,000 gallons of gasoline into Hanna Creek and, subsequently, into Whatcom Creek. Whatcom Creek is a 3.5-mile-long coastal stream that runs through a city park, residential neighborhoods, and urban industrial areas before emptying into Bellingham Bay. As the gasoline was carried down the creek, the fumes were ignited, causing three human deaths and affecting a variety of natural resources along the creek's path.