Monday December 8, 2025
FOX 11 and 41 Tri Cities-Yakima —
One of the turbine/generator sets at the dam overfilled with mineral oil during maintenance, resulting in 84 gallons of oil being spilled into the Columbia River, the Department of Ecology said in a weekend update.
Initial estimates suggested up to 240 gallons could have been spilled, but these were precautionary to ensure a thorough response.
Ecology announced today that a very light oil sheen is visible upriver of McNary Dam on both the Washington and Oregon sides.