Bear Creek Clean Up Efforts Underway
On Tuesday, April 12th, a fire at the Pacific Pride gas station in south Medford led to nearly 13,000 gallons of oil, diesel, gasoline, and kerosene spilling into the stormwater system, surrounding soil, and Bear Creek.
Rogue Riverkeeper is tracking this incident closely and staying in direct communication with Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) representatives. Our main priority is to support the first responders in the clean-up effort, and assist in any way we can to uphold the safety standards set out by the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act.
Rogue Riverkeeper did a full site visit on Tuesday with the DEQ Emergency Response Team. The agency approaches incidents like this with a three-tiered approach: 1) water quality monitoring, 2) Sewage Collection and Treatment, or SCAT, that entails searching for oiled collection areas in the creek and cleaning them up, 3) wildlife collection and rehabilitation.
DEQ Emergency Response Team performing SCAT under the I-5 overpass adjacent to Hawthorne Park
The DEQ response team has been in contact with the Gold Hill and the City of Rogue River drinking water facilities, ensuring the water is being tested at non-detection levels for petroleum products including gas, diesel, and PFAs. DEQ will continue to take water quality samples until there are below background concentrations of petroleum products, or a downward trend in detection.
No dead fish or mammals have been observed. Oiled birds are being handled by the International Bird Rescue (whose contact information is included below in this email). The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has been monitoring salmon redds closely and have not encountered any dead fish. The fish populations they have encountered appear to be healthy, and not affected by the spill at this time.
As a supporter of KS Wild and Rogue Riverkeeper, we know you care about the health of the Rogue Basin, and we will continue to keep you updated on the current situation.
The DEQ issued incident guidelines to help keep the community and wildlife safe during clean-up efforts.
Stay at least 50 feet from the creek. Bear Creek water levels are expected to rise up to a foot in the coming days due to increased precipitation. This will mobilize more oil that is hazardous to humans that has been stranded in vegetation as well as needles, trash, and other hazards.
Do not approach oiled wildlife. Oil-covered birds and some other wildlife have been spotted in Bear Creek and in adjacent areas. Oiled wildlife are very sick and stressed and need specialized medical care from wildlife and veterinary professionals. Please leave the birds and any other oiled animals alone and call the wildlife reporting hotline at 707-689-3944.
Stay connected with Rogue Riverkeeper. If you’d like to stay updated on the status of this incident, what you can do to help, and how to support Rogue Riverkeeper sign up for our enews, volunteer list, or donate.
Oil recovery boom under the Jackson St. bridge
Rogue Riverkeeper fights for clean water to ensure healthy fish habitat, safe drinking water, and recreation opportunities within the Rogue River Watershed. An oil spill in one of the Rogue River’s key tributaries will undoubtedly impact Bear Creek and the downstream watershed for some time to come. We are working tirelessly to ensure all measures are being taken to support the recovery of Bear Creek.
Please remember, if you encounter wildlife which may be oiled, do not approach or attempt to recover any animals yourself. Please call 707-689-3944 to report oiled or distressed birds to International Bird Rescue.