NEWS RELEASE

(Rock Quarry Diesel Spill)

A rock quarry equipment operator gouged a hole in a petroleum pipeline near Sherwood at about 3 p.m. Thursday, July 06, 2000, spilling approximately two thousand gallons of diesel fuel. The spill occurred on the property of Morse Brothers Materials Group at 11911 S.W. Waldo Way. Quarry officials quickly notified the 9-1-1 dispatch center. The Region 9 HazMat Team from Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue responded to the incident. Under the direction of HazMat technicians, Morse Brothers brought in a track hoe to build a series of dikes to contain the spill to the immediate area of the break.

The pipeline, operated by Kinder Morgan Energy Partners based in Orange, California, was immediately shut down when pipeline technicians noticed a pressure drop. However, because the pipeline flows over several higher ranges of hills upstream, diesel fuel continued to flow until manual valves near the break could be closed. The 8-inch pipe is a multi-product line that transports diesel and unleaded gasoline continuously between Portland and Eugene at a rate of 100,800 gallons per hour.

No one was injured in the incident, which has been turned over to the Department of Environmental Quality. Morse Brothers has brought in pump trucks to recover the pooled product. Repair crews expect to have the pipeline flowing again by sometime tonight.

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