No state fines in dredge sinking
NRC Environmental Services, of the Tri-Cities, was hired to offload diesel and hydraulic fluid from tanks onboard the Moses Lake Irrigation & Rehabilitation District's dredge in September.
MOSES LAKE - The state Department of Ecology isn't fining the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District in the sinking of the district's 40-foot dredge barge.
The dredge is used to remove silt from the lake and was partially sunk in Parker Horn in September by an act of sabotage, according to the district.
"Our emergency plan and quick containment response are the reason there was no penalty," stated Curt Carpenter, the district's general manager. "Dredging operations resumed shortly after the sabotage."
He described the dredge's repairs of replacing operating fluids and replacing wench cables as "minor" after the incident. The cables had to be cut from the anchors to release pressure during recovery.
To date, the total cost of clean-up is $102,970, according to Carpenter.
The district has been told the majority of the cost is covered by insurance, but has not been provided with a final dollar amount, he explained.
Mark Layman, Ecology's response supervisor, commended the district for its "good training and effective communication," in a Sept. 30 letter.
"I was also very impressed with the close coordination that occurred between you and the Moses Lake Fire Department and their effective deployment of oil booms to contain the spill and protect the environment," Layman wrote.
To report information about the person or persons involved with the incident, people are asked to call the Grant County Sheriff's Office at 509-754-2011.