On July 24th around 1700 hours, a tanker truck hauling an estimated 6100 gallons of diesel and unleaded gasoline hit the side rail and over-turned in the eastbound lane near mile marker 34 on US Interstate Highway 84 just east of Multnomah Falls State Park. The cause of the accident is still under investigation. The tanker truck was hauling a pup tank that came to rest on its side partially upside down in the ditch on the east side of the highway. The trailer was still connected to the tank truck which was on its side (passenger side) blocking both lanes of the I-84 east . The driver of the truck was taken to hospital and released with minor injuries.
The tanker truck bulk fuel tanks suffered valve and other damages resulting in at least one of the bulk tanks leaking profusely. Unleaded gasoline was observed draining from one bulk tank at the rate of about 1 gallon per minute. The gas reportedly infiltrated very rapidly into the subsurface.
The truck crash site is situated in the Columbia Gorge, east of Multnomah Falls on the south banks of the Columbia River. The Columbia Gorge is a National Scenic Area and the Columbia River is the largest river system in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to being a vibrant ecosystem, the Columbia River also supplies power via several hydroelectric dams.
