News Release
| Release Number: | 05-025 |
| Dated: | 2/9/2005 |
| Contact: | Heidi Y. Helwig, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-Maintenance crews at The Dalles Dam discovered an oil spill near the dam's east fish way at about 5 p.m. Tuesday. An estimated 30 gallons of turbine oil was released into the Columbia River, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today.
The Dalles maintenance crews immediately placed a containment boom to trap any residual oil in the fish way and closed the entrance with weirs to contain the oil. Crews are still working to find the source of the leak, though they believe the spill originated from a smaller turbine unit known as a "fish unit," so called because it releases a flow of water into the fish way to attract adult fish.
There is no documented anadromous fish passage at The Dalles this time of year; fish numbers found within the fish way are minimal through February.
Crews believe the boom pads have absorbed as much of the residual oil as possible. The absorbent pads used on the boom will be disposed of via the Corps' waste disposal contractor.
Crews reported the oil spill to the National Response Center, as well as the Oregon and Washington emergency response centers. -30-