Highway 730 diesel spill near Walla Walla

(Information on this site is considered to be accurate at the time of posting, but is subject to change as new information becomes available.)

The state Department of Ecology responded today to a diesel spill that occurred this morning on State Route 730 at Milepost 1 on the Washington side of the Columbia River, west of Walla Walla. Approximately 200 gallons of diesel oil was spilled onto the highway and into a ditch, but it did not go to any surface water, such as a river or lake.

Summary information

Date of incident:  February 24, 2011
Location:

State Route 730 at Milepost 1 on the Washington side of the Columbia River

Type of incident: Diesel, approximately 200 gallons
Cause of incident: Collision under investigation
Responsible party: Medelez Inc. and Vidal Fuendes Company, both of Hermiston, Oregon

Status updates

March 2, 2011

Wrap up of diesel spill when trucks collide near Walla Walla    

The trucking companies,  Medelez Inc. and Vidal Fuendes Company, both of Hermiston, Oregon, hired the Burns Oil Co. to conduct an assessment and cleanup, if necessary, at the site of truck collision that occurred February 24, 2011, on State Route 730.

The contractor reported Wednesday, March 2, 2011, that the site is now clean. They filled two 55 gallon drums with dirt and rock and an estimated two gallons of diesel and two gallons of motor oil. The remainder of the fuel either dissipated or was cleaned up off the highway. 

February 24, 2011

Ecology responds to diesel spill after trucks collide near Walla Walla    

The state Department of Ecology responded today to a diesel spill that occurred this morning on State Route 730 at Milepost 1 on the Washington side of the Columbia River, west of Walla Walla. The Washington State Patrol responded originally to the injury collision that involved two semi trucks. 

The spill was reported to Ecology at about 10 a.m. Approximately 200 gallons of diesel oil was spilled onto the highway and into a ditch, but it did not go to any surface water, such as a river or lake.  

One truck was owned by Medelez Inc. of Hermiston, Oregon. The other was from the Vidal Fuendes Co., also of Hermiston. The 200 gallons of fuel were released from fuel tanks on both of the semis.

Also responding to the incident are the Washington Department of Transportation and Union Pacific Railroad.  State Route 730 is next to and runs parallel to the railroad. Together, the agencies and the railroad are working to identify the extent of the contamination, plan cleanup strategies, and bring in private spill contractors to conduct the cleanup.

Media contact

Ty Keltner, Media contact, ty.keltner@ecy.wa.gov, 360-407-6990