http://tdn.com/news/local/oil-spill-near-olequa-creek-a-vital-environmental-lesson/article_6ee1acbf-f230-5435-a7de-c5c2840ce910.html
Oil spill near Olequa Creek a vital environmental lesson
October 09, 2015 11:45 pm • By Sarah Grothjan
Who would have thought that something as wholesome as vegetable oil
could cause so much ecologic havoc?
When a fire leveled a Winlock food warehouse in August, spilling more
than a thousand gallons of cooking oil and fire suppression water into
Olequa Creek, it served as a cautionary tale.
The oil and water gushed out of the building, down a storm drain and
into the creek, killing an estimated 100,000 fish, mostly
bottom-dwelling sculpin. The cost of the cleanup is estimated so far at
$142,000, and the full tally is not complete.
Though it was a man-made accident, the fish kill is a dramatic example
of the dangers that runoff through storm water systems poses for the
environment — and why governments are putting millions of dollars into
diverting rain runoff from creeks and rivers.
According to the state Department of Ecology, about one-third of the
state’s waters are too polluted to meet state water quality standards,
and storm water is largely to blame.
A study published Thursday in the Journal of Applied Ecology found that
the grime, oil and other contaminants washing off highways and streets
can kill adult coho salmon in less than three hours. Contaminants in
rain can kill salmon before they even spawn, the study found. Ecology
considers storm water runoff the number one urban water pollution
problem in the state.
The problem has grown with the state’s population, which expanded by 2
million people since 1982. Growth has boosted the amount of leaked
automotive fluids, fertilizer, pesticides and other contaminants washing
into the state’s watersheds. Even seemingly harmless substances — such
as suds from car wash detergents — can have an impact, because storm
water is not treated at sewage plants. (That soapy water running off
your washed car runs directly into streams.)
“With the increased population density we have more impervious surfaces,
so things like concrete and roofs where rain water can’t soak in,” said
Micki McNaughton, DNR’s special project coordinator for urban and
community forestry program.
“The more that (water) sheets across the surface of the ground or the
surface of the concrete street or asphalt parking lot, the more things
it picks up.”
Storm water runoff also can affect fish habitat by affecting the
temperature of the water. According to Ecology, runoff is typically
warmer than water in streams. That can be bad for salmon and trout,
which need cool water to survive.
The amount of storm water that pools into other bodies of water is
immense. Just a one-acre parking lot, for example, sheds 27,000 gallons
of water after an inch of rain.
“If people think about their house and multiplying all that by 1,000 …
then I think it gives an idea of how much storm water and potential
pollution is generated,” said Deborah Cornett, who works on water
quality with the Department of Ecology.
To reduce the damage, many larger cities are required to have storm
water mitigation programs in place. Longview, for example, charges
residents a storm water fee in utility bills. The city spent $2.8
million in 2014 on storm water mitigation, said Steve Haubner, storm
water manager. The money — taken from the storm water utility fund —
financed the city’s storm water permit program and compliance,
maintenance activities, storm water staff, capital programs and the
urban forestry program.
Glancing around the city, residents can see where their money has been
spent. There are small, vegetated “rain gardens” near the library and
post office that catch water and filter it as it percolates into the
ground. The city’s recently completed downstream streetscape project
includes several rain gardens north of Hudson Street. The Tenant Way
beautification project also includes rain gardens, also called
bio-retention facilities.
“That’s going to capture all the runoff from the Tenant Way corridor and
filter it,” Haubner said.
Storm water-related rules adopted in recent years also are meant to
control erosion from large construction projects (hence the silt fencing
you see around any large-scale excavation project.). But officials says
ordinary citizens need to do their part, too. McNaughton suggests
looking close to home (See box on Page A1).
“That whole idea of thinking locally can have a global effect, and
that’s really, really true with storm water management,” McNaughton
said. “The more we can do to prevent storm water runoff locally, the
better off we are statewide. ... We can affect this in our own backyards.”
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