Winlock Company Fined for 2015 Spill

OLYMPIA (AP) — The Washington Department of Ecology is seeking more than $30,000 from a Winlock company as reimbursement for the cost of responding to a spill after a fire destroyed a warehouse last year.

The state agency announced Tuesday that it also has issued Olympic Trading Corporation a $1,000 fine for spilling oil into state waters. Investigators have not found a cause for last August's fire at the 1,500 square-foot warehouse that contained a variety of grocery items, including 1,130 gallons of vegetable oils.

The runoff from the fire affected more than three miles of Olequa Creek.

Contractors removed 65,500 gallons of contaminated water and 25 cubic yards of oiled sorbents and contaminated soil following the fire.

The company has 30 days to appeal. The owner of Olympic Trading Corporation said Tuesday he plans to appeal.