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Oil leak into creek put at 2,000 gallons A DEQ official says there is no sign of harm to fish or wildlife habitat

Saturday, April 15, 2000

By Clifton R. Chestnut of The Oregonian staff

CLACKAMAS -- The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality estimated Friday that 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel had leaked from an underground pipe at the Fred Meyer distribution center into a creek that feeds into the Clackamas River.

Enviro News An archive of Oregonian stories related to environmental concerns, ranging from salmon protection and federal logging legislature to urban growth and water quality control. Based on fuel inventory records, DEQ officials think the leak began in February, said Rob Hood, underground storage tank specialist. The leak, traced to a pipe that leads from an underground tank to an above-ground dispenser, was repaired by Thursday, Hood said. No fish or wildlife habitats appear to have been harmed, he said.

Fred Meyer delivery trucks refuel at the site on Oregon 212 just east of Interstate 205, said Rob Boley, a Fred Meyer spokesman.

A resident called the DEQ on April 4 to report a possible spill in Carli Creek, a Clackamas River tributary that is partially diverted through drainage pipes.

County water quality officials spotted fuel in the creek April 7 and set up absorbent booms to prevent the diesel fuel from entering the Clackamas River. The creek joins the Clackamas River about four miles upstream from its confluence with the Willamette River.

"There was a significant enough percentage of it" to warrant further investigation, said Andrew Swanson, a county surface-water technician. Swanson said Carli Creek is about half a mile long. He said he did not see any diesel in the Clackamas River.

Fred Meyer has two underground diesel tanks on the site. Neither was found to be leaky, DEQ officials said. The company hired an environmental firm to clean up the spill.

"We think we've taken all the steps we can to stop it," Boley said.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/news/oregonian/00/04/lc_71diesel15.frame

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 16, 2000

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-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), April 16, 2000.