News Release
| Release Number: | 04-135 |
| Dated: | 7/22/2004 |
| Contact: | Matt Rabe, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore. – On July 21, two F/A-18 fighter jets collided and crashed near Arlington, Ore. A portion of the wreckage landed in the Columbia River.
This portion of the Columbia River, a 76-mile-long reservoir impounded by the John Day Dam, is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The following actions have been taken in direct response to the incident:
* The John Day Navigation Lock is closed to river traffic today and Friday for maintenance. The closure is only between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. each day. Shipping companies have been notified of this closure. An earlier news release incorrectly stated the lock was closed until further notice.
* Roosevelt Park, across the river from Arlington, is closed to the public through the weekend. The military has set up a command post at that location.
* Corps employees assisted in the rescue and recovery efforts. Corps crews are on stand-by should any request for assistance come in.
* Maintenance crews deployed absorbent booms around powerhouse intakes and fish ladders at John Day and The Dalles dams to prevent oil or gas from contaminating the facilities. No oil has been observed at John Day Dam, though a sheen is visible about 10 miles upstream of the facility.
The public is asked not to use the Columbia River between the John Day Dam and Arlington, Ore., until cleanup crews have removed all the debris and oil. This request is for the safety of both the recreating public, as well as the response crews.
The public also is being told to not touch or collect aircraft debris. Anyone finding any debris is asked to contact local law enforcement agencies.
Any debris that reaches the dams will be recovered and staged for investigators.