Cleanup of an oil spill in the Columbia River is winding down, Feb. 12, 2018, after an oil tank was removed from under a dilapidated pier adjacent to the Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa, Jan. 30, 2018. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Campanale.
ASTORIA, Ore. – The Coast Guard’s cleanup efforts of an oil spill in the Columbia River adjacent to the Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa in Astoria are winding down but containment boom and absorbent boom will remain in place for months to come.
There has been no further oil discharge since a 16-foot by 6-foot oil tank was removed from under a dilapidated pier, January 30, but residual oil, which remains on pier pilings and seawall rocks in the area, will continue to naturally dissipate.
Personnel from the Coast Guard Sector Columbia River Incident Management Division and the Coast Guard Sector Pacific Strike Force oversaw contractors’ cleanup and disposal of 20 cubic yards of oiled debris and sorbent material; 3,400 feet of contaminated hard boom; 2,239 gallons of bunker oil from the tank and 6,150 gallons of an oily water mixture with skimmers and a vacuum truck.
Throughout the response and cleanup efforts there has been no report of oiled wildlife.
A total of 6,864 man hours were attributed to the cleanup of the spill, of which 2,160 hours were Coast Guard personnel and 4,704 hours from contractors.
Decontamination of the marina-side seawall was completed the first weekend of February while the river-side seawall will be left to natural weathering and thinning. Cleaning within the cove and around the pier will be monitored by Coast Guard personnel as the absorbent boom collects oil remnants that wash off pilings and rocks.
The total cost of the cleanup is more than $900,000 dollars which is currently covered by the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund.
