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Department of Ecology News Release - January 3, 2012
12-003
SPOKANE – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is on the scene of a semi truck accident where diesel and engine oil have spilled into the Little Klickitat River and onto the river bank off Highway 97, about five miles north of Goldendale. The spill occurred in the late night hours, but the exact time is unknown. The truck, owned by New Legend Trucking, overturned, but the driver was unharmed.
Responders estimate the size of the spill at 280 gallons. New Legend hired the National Response Corp. (NRC) to conduct the cleanup work. At this time, NRC is using absorbent pads and containing the diesel and oil with absorbent boom as much as possible.
Recovering the overturned truck will take most of the day today, according to Ecology’s on-scene coordinator, Jeff Lewis. Once it is removed, NRC will be able to more thoroughly clean the river bank.
All oil spills cause environmental damage, regardless of size. Oil is toxic to the environment and the damage starts as soon as the oil hits water. A single quart of oil has the potential to foul more than 100,000 gallons of water.
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Media Contact: Jani Gilbert, 509-329-3495; cell 509-990-9177
Ecology Spills Program (www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html)
Ecology’s social media (www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html)
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
