News Release
| Release Number: | 99-065 |
| Dated: | 7/20/1999 |
| Contact: | Heidi Y. Helwig, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore. -- While working on the Umpqua River near Reedsport, Ore., the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reported a spill of about 200 gallons of hydraulic oil, according to Ted Hunt, captain of the Corps' dredge Yaquina. The dredge crews reported the spill to the U.S. Coast Guard's National Response Center (NRC) within 30 minutes of discovering the spill.
At about 8:15 p.m. on July 18, the Corps' chief mate on the Yaquina discovered the source of the spill: a ruptured 2,500-pound hydraulic hose within the dredge's hopper door. Within minutes, crewmembers rigged a portable pump to begin stripping oil off the water's surface. By 6:30 a.m. on July 19, only about 20 gallons of oil had been recovered. The spilled oil is a newer anti-wear hydraulic oil and is considered to be biodegradable.
While the Corps did notify the NRC soon after the spill was detected, it also should have immediately notified the state's Department of Environmental Quality. The Corps is reexamining its communication procedures to ensure that, in the future, immediate notification of state agencies is achieved. Tomorrow the Corps is conducting spill response training for the staff that services the dredges.