Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Cleanup operations began Jan. 13 after a leak from an underground tank at the J.E. Love Company in Garfield was discovered. The leak subsequently seeped into Silver Creek. Most of the cleanup is now complete, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.
Approximately 950 gallons of diesel had been recovered as of Sunday, including product reclaimed from excavation, storm drains, and pads and booms installed along Silver Creek.
The incident will not affect the city’s water supply.
“It’s not a drinking water issue,” said Jani Gilbert, Communications Manager for the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE), Eastern Region.
The leaking tank was sealed Jan. 19 after a local excavator initially dug around the tank, which is located two blocks from Silver Creek.
The leak was reported by the Love Company Jan. 12. A Washington State Department of Ecology’s spills team went to investigate and located a leaking underground storage tank with diesel heating oil. The tank had an 8,000-gallon capacity.
Ecology’s Toxics Cleanup Program began an initial investigation Jan. 13.
The Department of Ecology representative first recommended the J.E. Love Company hire a contractor with emergency response and cleanup credentials.
J.E. Love subsequently hired National Response Corporation (NRC) to handle the cleanup.
Responders soon broke ice on Silver Creek and discovered more diesel had spilled than previously thought.
It was found 300 feet from the stormwater outfall on Silver Creek.
“It’s never good when there’s a petroleum product released into surface water,” said Gilbert, citing potential environmental effects on wetlands, shorelines, wildlife habitat and more.
Silver Creek flows into the North Fork of the Palouse River at Elberton.
Last Thursday, Jan. 19, NRC cut into the tank to clean it, patch it and fill it with gravel, followed by concrete. They also built a trench to collect any product that remains on the site.
Along the creek, NRC spot-cleaned with absorbent pads. They also did some excavation.
To contain the spill so it won’t travel further down the creek, NRC installed a floating barrier, called a “hard boom.” At the stormwater outfall, they installed an oil/water separator to collect anything that may come out.
“There is currently no evidence of diesel in the three stormwater catch basins at the site, and all three were cleaned out,” said Gilbert.
At the damaged tank site on Third Street, a small new tank was installed next to the underground tank that leaked. The new tank has a pump which sucks up water and diesel into a larger, 6,000-gallon storage tank. Eventually this tank will be pumped into the Garfield sewer system for treatment.
On Monday, workers began to put away the polystyrene backup tanks onto trailers near the creek.
All told, three hard booms were used along with an “absorbent boom,” which is made of a material which absorbs the oil into the fabric.
NRC left the hard boom in place in the creek for several more days. The absorbent boom will remain indefinitely, with the Love Co. replacing it as needed.
NRC also pumped product from a collection sump installed in the street near the tank.
“As much as we can get it cleaned up and under control, it is,” said Gilbert.
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
Reader Comments(0)