Quick action, cooperation credited for effective spill response

The quick, coordinated efforts of Grant PUD crews, contractor GrayMar Environmental, and the state Department of Ecology played a critical role in effectively responding to the Dec. 3 release of 84 gallons of mineral oil from Grant PUD’s Priest Rapids Dam into the Columbia River.

“Our teams at the dam receive spill-response training, which really kicked in following this unfortunate incident. Collaboration with our partner agencies was excellent,” said Jeff Grizzel, senior vice president of Power and Market Operations. “The Columbia River powers Grant County. It’s our highest priority to be its primary caretaker. We work hard to prevent these incidents entirely, but if they occur, we learn from them and improve our procedures.”

Crews at the dam’s powerhouse became aware of the spill at approximately 12:30 p.m., Dec. 3, while performing maintenance on Unit P6, one of the dam’s 10 turbine/generating units.

The National Response Center, Washington Emergency Management Division, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and Grant PUD’s contracted response team, GrayMar, were notified by 1 p.m. GrayMar dispatched crews from Pasco and had boats positioned downriver at Vernita Bridge by 2:40 p.m. As part of the response, GrayMar deployed several absorbent booms to collect spilled oil and safeguard critical areas, including water supply intakes.

Inside the powerhouse, crews worked to isolate the source of the oil spill, initiate cleanup efforts, and assess how much oil had entered the river.

The state Department of Ecology assumed command of the response upon arriving on-site Dec. 3 and declared cleanup complete on Dec. 8, with no visible oil sheen remaining on the Columbia River. Unit P6 was restored to service, and the dam returned to normal operation on Dec. 10.

No documented contamination of drinking-water supplies or harm to fish, wildlife or spawning areas were reported throughout the incident, according to state Department of Ecology officials.

The spill happened during maintenance work to the unit’s turbine guide bearing. Crews had pumped part of the oil out for the inspection and were pumping the retained oil back in when the spill occurred.

An analysis to determine why the spill happened is ongoing and will include an action plan to prevent such overflows in the future.

Grant PUD thanks our contractor GrayMar Environmental and the state Department of Ecology for their rapid, efficient and thorough response.

To read previous updates on our response to the spill from Priest Rapids Dam click here.

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