At approximately 1430 hrs PDT on 6 August 2015, EPA received notification that a fuel tanker truck pulling a fuel tank trailer spilled approximately 1900 gallons of diesel on the east side of the U.S. Route 12. The Clearwater River is located approximately 20 to 25 feet from the east side of the highway and is approximately 25 to 30 feet lower in elevation. The Clearwater River empties into the Snake River approximately 60 miles downstream of the spill, and the Snake River ultimately flows into the Columbia River.
On the date of the incident, the responsible party's (RP) contractor placed absorbent materials on the roadway, and deployed absorbent materials at the river's edge to contain and capture spilled product, and a limited amount of diesel was removed from the overturned trailer. EPA OSCs, along with representatives from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, Idaho Department of Transportation, Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho State Police, Lewis County Sheriff, and the RP and RP's contractor met on-site on August 8th to begin planning for the cleanup action.
