Coleman Oil Biodiesel Spill

In 1921, the site began operating as a bulk fuel facility. Coleman Oil Company (Coleman Oil) has owned the site since 2007. In 2017, a citizen saw an oil sheen on the Columbia River. The oil sheen was generally next to the junction of Chehalis and Worthen Streets in Wenatchee.  An investigation by Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the full cooperation of Coleman Oil, the source was discovered to be from leaking underground piping connected a 20,000-gallon Above Ground Storage Tank (AST) containing diesel fuel to a truck loading rack at the site.
 

Stopping the oil sheen on the river was the highest priority. Ecology spill responders and Coleman Oil placed floating barriers to contain the oil sheen, excavated contaminated soil, and installed recovery wells and vaults to pump out diesel to prevent it from reaching the river.  These actions are called Interim Actions. Interim Actions are partial or short-term cleanup while a long-term cleanup plan is worked on and are meant to reduce exposure to contamination. 

The Interim Actions have resulted in stopping the oil sheen on the river and removing all free product from site monitoring and recovery wells. Groundwater and surface water monitoring are ongoing, and pumping of recovery wells continues to prevent remaining petroleum in groundwater from reaching the river.