Update 1-25-20

Seattle Parks said they are working on a solution to better secure the fueling station at the West Seattle Golf Course following a spill caused by a theft of the gas at the facility. Spokes person Rachel Schulkiin said, "hopefully be in place really soon." She said that cameras, lights and motion detectors in parks is in conflict with the City privacy laws in public spaces saying they are "not appropriate" outside. The storm drain some 60 feet down the slope from the fueling station that drains into Longfellow Creek was not addressed. Schulkin suggested that this is more likely a Seattle Public Utilities matter.

The City of Kirkland has published a Fueling Station Best Management Practices document that points out:

1. The fuel island shall be paved using Portland cement concrete, not asphalt and be designed to contain fuel spills. The fuel island shall be designed as a spill containment pad and sized to prevent the runoff of spilled fuel and the run-on of stormwater from surrounding pavement. Parking lot stormwater shall be discharged to the stormwater drainage system, not the sanitary sewer system.

2. Liquids spilled on the fuel island shall be collected in drains, either trench drains or catch basins. The pad shall be sloped towards the drains. The drain(s) shall be connected to the sanitary sewer or process treatment. The drain shall have a valve to allow shutoff in the event of a large fuel spill and a baffled oil/water separator vault to minimize the flow of fuels into the sewer

There is no information as to when the fueling station was first installed but the development of nearby apartments on Avalon Way SW means an open fueling station with limited security could represent a potential public and environmental danger.

Original post 1-18-20

A gas storage tank at West Seattle Golf Course was likely vandalized in a theft attempt on Thursday night resulting in a fuel spill of between 250 and 300 gallons, authorities said. The gas soaked the soil near the storage tank site and made it's way into Longfellow Creek. Dead salmon could be seen in the water, turned green by dept of Ecology to determine the level of the contaminant.

The spill was reported around 6 am on Friday morning.

Recovery workers were able to get about 70 gallons of the fuel.

Booms were placed around the immediate area of the spill and the potential environmental damage was on going.

The storage tank has no fence around it and the pumps themselves are secured only by padlocks. It's unclear why the area has no motion sensing lights or fence around the pumps. The gas pump itself appeared to have a newer hose attached to the nozzle.

Also unknown is why an open drain that goes into the creek is just below a petroleum distribution point.