Corps holds multi-agency oil spill training exercise at Lower Granite Lock and Dam June 26

Published July 1, 2013
Whitman County Emergency Management, Sheriff and vessel, and Public Health; Nez Perce County Sheriff and vessel; Asotin County Fire and Rescue and vessel; Washington Department of Ecology’s Spill Preparedness and Prevention response team, and Corps personnel and vessels from Lower Granit, Little Goose, and Clarkston participated in the June 26 oil spill training exercise.

Whitman County Emergency Management, Sheriff and vessel, and Public Health; Nez Perce County Sheriff and vessel; Asotin County Fire and Rescue and vessel; Washington Department of Ecology’s Spill Preparedness and Prevention response team, and Corps personnel and vessels from Lower Granit, Little Goose, and Clarkston participated in the June 26 oil spill training exercise.

Whitman County Sheriff and other agencies participated in the June 26 oil spill response training exercise at Boyer Park.

Whitman County Sheriff and other agencies participated in the June 26 oil spill response training exercise at Boyer Park.

A Corps Park Ranger boat and crew deploy an oil containment boom.

A Corps Park Ranger boat and crew deploy an oil containment boom.

Asotin County Fire District boat and crew deploy an oil containment boom.

Asotin County Fire District boat and crew deploy an oil containment boom.

Several agencies and the Corps provided vessels for the exercise.

Several agencies and the Corps provided vessels for the exercise.

A floating drum skimmer would be used to collect and remove oil from a surface oil spill. Oil is attracted to the rolling drums surfaces, which is then stripped from the drums and pumped into collection tanks. The drum skimmer can be used in closed catchments or open water for either thin or thick oil in a range of weather conditions. Much of the captured oil can be recycled rather than placed in a landfill. The skimmer can be rapidly deployed by a single person since it's relatively lightweight – only 45 pounds – and consists of only six parts, readily assembled on-site prior to operation. The Corps’ Lower Granite project has the only such skimmer in the area.

A floating drum skimmer would be used to collect and remove oil from a surface oil spill. Oil is attracted to the rolling drums surfaces, which is then stripped from the drums and pumped into collection tanks. The drum skimmer can be used in closed catchments or open water for either thin or thick oil in a range of weather conditions. Much of the captured oil can be recycled rather than placed in a landfill. The skimmer can be rapidly deployed by a single person since it's relatively lightweight – only 45 pounds – and consists of only six parts, readily assembled on-site prior to operation. The Corps’ Lower Granite project has the only such skimmer in the area.

As part of its environmental stewardship efforts, the Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expanded its 2013 annual oil spill training exercise at Lower Granite Lock and Dam on the lower Snake River. Several county agencies adjacent to the Lower Granite pool participated in this exercise in the first such collaborative training effort. Training with other agencies enhances each agency’s readiness.

The Corps’ goal was to foster closer working relationships with cooperating, responding and reporting agencies in case of an oil spill on the lower Snake River near Lower Granite. The Corps works closely with nearby responding agencies such as law enforcement and emergency management if an oil spill is discovered.

The training prepared participants to respond potential oil spills from sources such as recreational or commercial watercraft, shoreline industrial activities or the dam itself. The Corps responds to oil spills at its locks and dams regardless of the source. The Corps also reports oil spills to appropriate federal and state agencies. When oil appears to be coming from upstream of a Corps dam, the Corps works with other agencies to identify the source of the spill in addition to controlling the spill. The Lower Granite pool reaches from the dam to eight miles up the Clearwater River and eight miles up the Snake River from the confluence at Lewiston, Idaho.

The June 26 exercise involved practical open water oil spill control activities. Training included boom deployment using both watercraft and shore anchors. The Corps hosted the training. Sara White, environmental protection specialist, was exercise director. Mike McCain of the Washington Department of Ecology led training.

Agency participation in the June 26 exercise included Whitman County Emergency Management, Sheriff and vessel, and Public Health: Nez Perce County Sheriff and vessel; Asotin County Fire and Rescue and vessel; and Washington Department of Ecology’s Spill Preparedness and Prevention response team.

Corps participation included Lower Granite Project personnel and “Granite Pride” vessel, Little Goose Project personnel, and Clarkston Office personnel and Park Ranger vessel.