DEQ and EPA lead cleanup of wood preservative release in Sheridan
SHERIDAN (Aug. 23, 2023) - The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the City of Sheridan and Stella-Jones Inc. established a unified command to coordinate the response to a spill of diesel-containing wood preservative at the Stella-Jones facility in Sheridan.
A mixture of diesel and dichlorooctylisothiazolinone (DCOI) spilled from a retort at the Stella-Jones facility at 7 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023. The preservative is approximately 97 percent diesel and 3 percent DCOI. DEQ and EPA are leading the response efforts and Stella-Jones responded by hiring a contractor to isolate the preservative and commence the cleanup activities.
The cause of the release is under investigation, and the facility will not operate the wood treating vessels until the investigation is concluded. There is no current threat to the nearby residents and no injuries have been reported. Based on Oregon Health Authority's review of DCOI, toxicologists do not expect DCOI to harm the health of on-site workers or community members passing near the site. Odors may be noticeable due to components of diesel that evaporate into the air.
Water, wastewater/sewer, storm water, and air quality are all being monitored by the EPA, DEQ, and the City in consultation with Stella-Jones and their hired clean-up crew and environmental management team.
The retort, or a high-pressure and high-temperature cylindrical vessel used to treat wood, held 24,000 gallons of the preservative. Secondary containment, or infrastructure at the facility designed to capture releases, stopped the spread of most of the spill. But an estimated 2,400 gallons either released past secondary containment or entered the City of Sheridan’s sewer system. Of the estimated 2,400 gallons of preservative which escaped containment, most extended onto an asphalt pad and gravel at the facility, which cleanup crews are remediating.
The City is working with DEQ, EPA and Stella-Jones to secure and protect utilities. The City of Sheridan plans on posting regular updates to its website, Facebook page as well as the outdoor bulletin board at City Hall and the indoor bulletin board at the Sheridan Library.
The Stella-Jones facility in Sheridan produces treated wood poles for electrical utilities and telecommunication companies. The facility is located at 22125 SW Rock Creek Road in Sheridan.
Contacts
- DEQ - Dylan Darling, 541-600-6119, dylan.darling@deq.oregon.gov
- U.S. EPA - Beth Clemons, 206-473-7106, clemons.beth@epa.gov
- City of Sheridan - Heidi Bell, 503-843-2347, hbell@cityofsheridanor.com
- Stella-Jones - Stephanie Corrente, 514-934-8666, communications@stella-jones.com