On Thursday, August 21, 2014, contractors working on the fire suppression system at the Fred Meyer Distribution Center in Clackamas, Oregon poured approximately 120 gallons of propylene glycol into a storm drain. The storm drain leads to a small creek, Carli Creek, which eventually flows to the Clackamas River.
Fred Meyer employees stopped the discharge once it was discovered and hired an environmental cleanup firm to remove the released chemical. A vacuum truck was brought to the site to recover product and water (used to flush the storm sewer), product/water pooled on the creek bank, and to remove contaminated water from the creek.
As of Friday, August 22, Fred Meyer and cleanup contractor staff remain on site removing and replacing absorbent pads and boom and surveying the creek for contamination on the soil or in the creek.
The sewer outfall, Carli Creek and the creek banks were surveyed between Saturday, August 23 and Wednesday, August 27. No evidence of further release of product was observed.
Analytical results of liquid samples collected on Thursday and Friday (August 21-22), indicated that propylene glycol was no longer being detected in water from Carli Creek.
On Wednesday, August 27, the remaining absorbent boom and pads were recovered and drummed for disposal and response activities were considered completed. A total of 1,300 gallons of liquid and five 55-gallons drums were processed for off-site disposal.
