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DNS FOG Temp: 33 °F Wind: NE at 3 mph Saturday, December 7, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend November 25, 2002 Water leak on North Fork causes oil spill ODFW said there would be no fishing restrictions despite 200 gallons of lubricant By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune PROSPECT — A massive water leak at a PacificCorp hydroelectric plant on the North Fork of the Rogue River Sunday morning washed turbine lubricant downstream, leaving an oily sheen five miles away along the upper stretches of Lost Creek Lake. The pumphouse, which had become partly operational Friday after repairs to pipes upstream, remained partially underwater Sunday night, making it difficult to determine how much oil leaked into the water. However, in a worst-case scenario, Fire District 4 Chief Bob Miller said, "There is a possibility of about 200 gallons leaking out," said. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials who are investigating the spill determined there would be no restrictions on fishing, he said. Fred Abeyta, production manager with PacificCorp, said divers struggled to seal the leaking pipes Sunday to stop the water from continuing to flow into the basement area of the powerhouse. Two containers totaling about 200 gallons of turbine lubrication — similar in consistency to motor oil — were in the basement area and are the source of the spill, he said. With containment booms in place and Foss Environmental Services in Portland planning to vacuum up the oil, Abeyta believes the worst of the spill has occurred. "Most of the oil is still floating on top of the water in the basement area," he said. Abeyta said the company was concerned about possible environmental problems from the spill, but he doesn’t believe it has caused much damage. Even though evidence of the spill was seen on Lost Creek Lake, he said, "It doesn’t take much oil to give you a sheen." The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the lake, will also assess any possible damage today. Crews from Foss Environmental plan to take a boat up the Rogue River today to clean up pockets of oil. Abeyta said oil tends to pool up in calmer areas on the river, making it easier to mop up. The water leak, which was so strong it ripped beams from the ceiling area in the basement, occurred just two days after one of the two turbine generators became operational at the 40 megawatt facility. Fire District 4 officials took a boat onto the lake late Sunday to see the extent of the spill. Miller said a sheen of oil could be seen in some areas along the shore near the upper end of the lake. Even if all 200 gallons leaked from the powerhouse into the river, Miller didn’t think it would pose any danger to fish because oil floats on top of the water. "If I put a drop of oil in a bathtub, it would leave a sheen," he said. Medford Fire Department Captain Rich Rohrbough said the Haz-Mat team called to the site reinforced existing dikes placed around the spill area and threw in about 50 absorbent towels to soak up the oil overnight. Still, oil will seep into the waterway. "It’s in the Rogue River and that’s not good," he said. The hydroelectric plant had been shut down since summer while workers replaced 75-year-old wooden pipes that had directed water to the turbine generators. Pipes leading into the pumphouse were not wooden. The massive redwood pipes, each 87 inches in diameter and 3,120 feet long, could easily be seen from Highway 62, spraying water out from their leaky seams. PacificCorp installed new steel pipes in October and November. Abeyta estimated it could take five days to clean up the mess in the pumphouse, particular drying out the turbines to get them operational again. He had no estimate of losses. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S