EVERETT — The owner of a fishing boat that spilled 50 gallons of diesel fuel into Steamboat Slough in February has agreed to pay a $500 fine for the incident.

Ron Barber of Lake Stevens and officials with the federal Environmental Agency in Seattle reached the agreement last month, according to the agency.

The night of Feb. 4, Barber’s 75-foot fishing vessel, the Elusive Dream, capsized where it had been moored in Steamboat Slough, said Kate Spaulding, an environmental scientist with the EPA in Seattle.

“It was just kind of a fluke that it tipped over,” Spaulding said. The boat’s diesel then spilled out the fuel port, she said.

During the spill, the state Department of Ecology notified the EPA, Spaulding said. An EPA spill-containment team and another that contracts with the agency responded.

The teams placed booms around the boat and used absorbent pads to soak up diesel fuel from the water. The fuel spill was contained within a few hours and no discernible damage was done to the surrounding environment, Spaulding said.

Barber was able to right his boat within a few days. Barber was cooperative with the agency during the incident and afterward, agency officials said. The $500 fine is standard for a small spill, “if we don’t see any signs of negligence,” Spaulding said.

Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439, sheets@heraldnet.com.