Officials in both Washington and Oregon are seeking comments as the two states update an oil spill plan for the Lower Columbia River that was published in 2003.
The Washington Department of Ecology and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality are updating the plan in response to the sharp rise in the amount of crude oil transported through the region by rail in recent years. The Lower Columbia plan covers the lower 145 miles of the river, from Bonneville Dam to its mouth at the Pacific Ocean.
The Lower Columbia River plan, available for public review and comment through June 8, is one of eight geographic response plans the state ecology department hopes to complete by the end of June. The plan is available online at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/preparedness/GRP.
Comments may be emailed to grps@ecy.wa.gov, or sent by mail to Washington Department of Ecology, Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (LCR-GRP), P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504.
