MATTAWA — A tugboat leased by a contractor working on a Grant PUD project sank upstream of Priest Rapids Dam overnight Sunday, causing a diesel spill in the Columbia River. Grant PUD contractors and crews began cleanup after discovering the spill early Monday morning.
“We are grateful that no one was harmed in this incident and that the diesel was contained to a small area where it is being removed from the river,” said Jeff Grizzel, Grant PUD’s senior vice president of power and market operations. “We are working with the contractor to facilitate the cleanup and recovery of the vessel, and to better understand how this happened and prevent it from happening again.”
Crews have installed absorbent booms in the Columbia River at the site of the submerged boat, near Priest Rapids Dam, to clean up diesel fuel on the river’s surface.
The incident occurred overnight Sunday while the vessel was moored to a barge. Crews discovered it at 6 a.m. Monday morning. There was no damage to the dam. The cause of the incident and the amount of fuel spilled are still under investigation.
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About Grant PUD: Established by local residents more than 80 years ago, Grant PUD generates and delivers energy to millions of customers throughout the Pacific Northwest. For more information visit https://www.grantpud.org or follow us on Facebook and X/Twitter.