Ice Harbor Dam repairs under way after oil leaks into Snake River

By Annette Cary
Tri-City Herald

Army Corps officials have identified the source of leaks in Ice Harbor Dam equipment after an oily sheen was seen on water below the Snake River dam.

As much as 1,680 gallons of transformer oil contaminated with small amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are estimated to have leaked slowly from three of six cooling units at Ice Harbor, according to the Corps.
Pinhole leaks apparently developed in metal tubing in the cooling units and grew over several months, it said.
Based on oil inventory records, the Corps believes the leaks started after June. Read more