Space Age Fuel, Inc. To Pay $135,000 EPA Penalty For N. Santiam Oil Spill

Tanker truck crashed on icy road, released oil to river

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Space Age Fuel, Inc. of Clackamas, Oregon has agreed to pay a $135,000 penalty for Clean Water Act violations following the release of oil from an overturned tanker into the North Santiam River.

On February 16, 2020, a Space Age Fuel, Inc. tanker truck carrying approximately 10,700 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel rolled over on Oregon Highway 22 and released an estimated 7,800 gallons of oil onto the highway and the surrounding area, which is adjacent to the North Santiam River.

Most of the released oil collected in a ditch on the side of the highway and a portion flowed directly into the North Santiam River. The oil in the ditch seeped into the soil and moved into the riverbank, eventually reaching the river. Water quality sampling indicated elevated levels of petroleum in the river from February 17 through March 11, 2020, and sheen was visible on the river for over three months. The river is home to federally endangered and threatened steelhead and salmon.

The North Santiam River provides drinking water to the City of Salem and other communities. The spill threatened, but ultimately did not affect, drinking water.

The day of the spill, the company initiated cleanup activities, including placement of boom, soil excavation, pumping using vacuum trucks, and water quality monitoring.

In addition to the $135,000 Clean Water Act penalty the company also agreed to pay a $72,000 penalty to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and agreed to a requirement that it develop an inclement weather safety program.