BELLINGHAM — A contractor hired to help migrating salmon and other fish in Padden Creek spilled diesel fuel into the water for a second time last week, killing fish and forcing most work to stop as cleanup efforts continued, Bellingham officials said last week.

An estimated 332 gallons of diesel leaked from a faulty pump Thursday near the Interurban Trail crossing at 12th Street, the city said in a statement Friday. An Aug.3 leak from the same pump spilled an estimated 344 gallons, for a total of nearly 700 gallons.

The city, its contractor Faber Construction, and the state Department of Ecology are working on a cleanup. A trail closure already in effect was extended to the section between 10th Street/Donovan Avenue and Sixth Street.

“To prevent any further incidents, the contractor is

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