Kalama Mystery Spill; Kalama, WA

Kalama, WA | 2001-Mar-04

Initial Notification: MSO Portland was notified of a mystery spill on the Columbia River in the vicinity of Kalama, WA at 2251 on March 4. NOAA HAZMAT was notified at 0630 March 5. A USCG overflight at first light reported silver and rainbow sheen from the Longview, WA to Wallace Island. Two areas of heavey rainbow sheen were observed at the upstream end of Cottonwood Island extending into Carrols Channel; and a 1.75 mile long concentration extending downstream from the Lewis and Clark Bridge in Longview. Below Fisher Island, sheen was primaily silver, and followed the shipping channel roughly 50 yds off the river bank, to Wallace Island where ribbon of sheen was only 10 yards wide. Patchy and very light sheen was observed upriver between Kalama and martin Island. Additional overflights by USCG and WDOE are planned for this afternoon. As of noon, NW Area Plan Lowere Columbia River geogrpahical response strategu Nos. 30-31, 44-45, and 57-58 had been deployed. USCG district 13.