Thousands of gallons of fuel spill in a ditch flowing to Deception Creek

Pollution Update 9-10-15

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently entered into separate settlement agreements with Portland-based Cascade Petroleum Transportation, Inc. concerning a March 2012 truck crash near Westfir that resulted in the release of thousands of gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel to a ditch on the west side of Hwy. 58. The ditch flowed to Deception Creek, which in turn flowed to the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. Gasoline and diesel fuel also ended up in groundwater that supplies drinking water to nearby residents. EPA negotiated a penalty of $60,300 with Cascade Petroleum Transportation, while DEQ negotiated a penalty of $16,000.