Worker’s error dumps fluid into Snake

Nearly 100 gallons of hydraulic fluid was spilled into the Snake River March 13 after an operator overfilled a bearing in one of the turbines at Lower Granite Dam.

Washington state’s Department of Ecology said last Friday the spill created an oily sheen on the river that could be seen for about a mile downstream from the dam.

The spill was reported by a park ranger working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers who noticed it while patrolling the area.

Cathy Cochrane, spokesperson for the DOE, said no environmental effects were noticeable from the spill. She noted, though, that the oil could suffocate fish or cause birds that ingest the oil to become ill.

“Oil always presents a potential toxin to the water, but in this case there doesn’t seem to be much of a danger to people,” said Cochrane.

While a DOE news release noted a single quart of motor oil can potentially contaminate 100,000 gallons of water, the properties of hydraulic fluid are much different.

Gina Baltrusch, spokesperson for the corps, said the thin hydraulic fluid spread out quickly in the water.

The oil also dissipated quickly because of the high volume of water flow in the Snake River at this time.

Because hydraulic oil is so thin, it would not be able to be picked up by absorption booms.

“There just wasn’t much that could be done,” said Cochrane. “We just have to let it evaporate or dissipate.”

The environmental compliance specialist at the dam began the clean-up process. Fluid that spilled inside the dam was cleaned up by the time ecology responders arrived on site, said Baltrusch.

“The corps takes its environmental stewardship responsibility very seriously, and because of that we have an excellent environmental record,” said Baltrusch.