Tar balls?

Last week when hauling out at Richmond Beach during the long slog up to the parking lot, a wheel fell off my Scupper Pup cart.  I jammed it back on and carefully got back to the truck.

When I got home and surveyed the damage the wheel spindle was coated with tar.  The tar had gummed up the retaining stop and as it wiggled it slowly retracted allowing the wheel to fall off.  A bit of scraping and gasoline on a rag, and the cart is back in service.

Are tar balls common in Puget Sound?

could be creosote that leached out of a piling somewhere.  i've seen little balls of it on the beach around Ruston before.  glad it didn't ruin your cart.

Bobby

could be creosote that leached out of a piling somewhere.  i've seen little balls of it on the beach around Ruston before.  glad it didn't ruin your cart.

I'd not thought of that.  There is a lot of work being done just north of Richmond Beach at the old Point Wells Oil depot for the King County Waste Management Brightwater Project.  Lots of old pilings at Point Wells.

http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/Construction/North/Brightwater.aspx

A little way south of that location is the Asphalt plant.  Not sure if it is in operation anymore but it was right on the water so----beach migration happens