Oregon DEQ proposes spill cleanup approval

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is proposing final approval of a cleanup conducted at the spill site at Roberts Creek near Winston, Oregon. The spill occurred in March 2006, when a Truax Oil petroleum tanker truck and trailer carrying 9,100 gallons of gasoline and 2,002 gallons of diesel fuel crashed and caught fire.

Unburned portions of the gasoline and diesel fuel spilled, and a portion of the asphalt road was liquefied by the heat and spread to the environment. The fuel flowed into an unnamed tributary of Roberts Creek. The spill contaminated the right-of-way by I-5 and an adjacent property. An extensive cleanup was conducted. Over 11,000 tons of contaminated soil was disposed at Coffin Butte Landfill, and 159,878 gallons of contaminated water was treated and disposed of at Roseburg Urban Sanitary Authority treatment plant.

Soil sampling and groundwater monitoring indicate no recoverable petroleum product remained. Truax Oil conducted additional assessment of the soil and groundwater. Residual contaminant concentrations are below DEQ levels of concern for construction and excavation workers in the Oregon Department of Transportation right-of-way. Levels in groundwater and surface water are also considered safe for human health consumption. Surface water samples from Roberts Creek were below detection limits for all contaminants. DEQ has determined that there is also no unacceptable risk for aquatic life. DEQ is proposing that no further cleanup action is necessary at the site.