At approximately 330 Hrs on 1/7/10 a large electrical regulator exploded and erupted into flames at the Pacificorp Albina Substation on North River Rd. The regulator lost most of the 1200 gallons of mineral oil dielectric fluid (Non-PCB), spraying the material as far as 150 feet and coating a building and other electrical equipment in the substation. Portions of sidewalks and N Loring St. were also impacted. Some oil had the potentential to reach three storm drains and enter the Willamette River approximately 300 feet due west of the Substaion. Portland FD extinguished the fire and Paciificorp began clean up work soon after. The fire also caused over 1200 customers in the downtown area to lose power for approximately 12 hours and disabled many traffic signals.
The substation was built in 1949 and is the subject of an ongoing Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) study investigating whether the facility has contributed to elevated PCB levels in the sediment of the Willamette River. The facility is directly adjacent to and up stream from the Willamette Harbor NPL site. Pacificorp has been doing limited soil removals at the site over the past several months.
