Oil Cleanup Plan Wins Approval

An amended plan for cleaning up an underground oil spill near the Davenport Hotel has been approved by Washington Water Power Co., the state Department of Ecology and Spokane County Superior Court Judge Kathleen O’Connor.

The plan, filed Monday, differs only slightly from an original agreement announced in August, said WWP environmental compliance administrator Doug Pottratz.

An estimated 75,000 gallons of thick oil leaked years ago from tanks beneath the former WWP steam plant south of the hotel and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe right of way.

The plan requires the utility to construct an underground barrier to keep the spill from advancing farther. Some contaminated soil must be removed, and other oil extracted using wells.

Sealing, venting to encourage microbial digestion of the oil, and 15 years of monitoring also are included in the cleanup.

The public will have another chance to comment on the plan before work begins in the spring, Pottratz said.

The project should be completed by the end of next year.

, DataTimes