Maddie Pfeifer
Nearly 2,000 gallons of diesel spilled from a Linn County farm’s above-ground storage tank in late April, some of it flowing into the nearby rivers.
Stahlbush Island Farms reported to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality on April 25 that one of its storage tanks had spilled diesel, according to Dylan Darling, public affairs specialist with the agency. While the source of the spill is known, what caused the leak is yet to be determined, he said.
The Dead River, a short tributary of the Willamette River east of Corvallis, was impacted.
Cleanup started the day it was reported, Darling said. While the DEQ oversees the cleanup, the farm hired a contractor to conduct the cleanup.
“All government agencies were notified immediately,” Debbie Cozzetto, chief operating officer for Stahlbush Island Farms said in an email. “NWFF Environmental Consultants were hired to assist in the process. We are working with these groups to guide us in meeting all regulations and requirements.”
It was a medium-sized spill, according to the DEQ.
“Every spill can be unique,” Darling said. “It depends on the volume of the fuel release. Right now it’s hard to tell how much got into the waterways.”
Darling said the farm itself has had to remove about 1,000 tons of contaminated soil, and the diesel spilled into a blueberry field. Drainage is key when growing blueberries, so the ditches and other drainage methods nearby the field are what presumably allowed the diesel to travel the 1.15 miles from the tank to the Dead River, according to Darling.
The Dead River, next to Truax Island, feeds into the Willamette. Darling said at one point, there was a light sheen of oil on the Willamette River, but since then officials haven’t noticed any effects on wildlife or evidence of the spill.
Cleanup crews put booms on the water to absorb the diesel and prevent it from continuing into the flow of water. As of Tuesday, May 10, Darling said there were still seven booms in place.