Tumwater Falls Park expected to reopen Thursday; trail near brewery will stay closed
A spokeswoman for the state Department of Ecology said Tumwater Falls Park, which occupies a scenic spot below the former Olympia Brewing Co. and along the Deschutes River, is expected to reopen Thursday after an oil spill closed it last week.
However, a trail close to the brewery will remain closed, Ecology spokeswoman Sandy Howard said Tuesday.
The park closed last Friday because of an oil spill that happened earlier in the week after vandals damaged a transformer on Boston Street as they were trying to steal copper wire. The metal has a recycle value.
The transformer held 677 gallons of oil, although it’s not clear how many gallons actually spilled. The oil eventually worked its way down to the river and it later showed up in Capitol Lake.
The transformer was damaged Feb. 25. City of Tumwater and Ecology spill crews responded the following day, and a contractor has since been hired by the brewery owner to clean up the spill. The spill is now controlled.
Howard said the owner hired Cowlitz Clean Sweep to do the work, and employees can be seen in the area wearing white hazmat suits.
Howard said there is no health threat to the public, but she did ask people to stay away from affected areas.
Although Tumwater Falls Park is closed, Tumwater Historical Park, which is below the falls, is open, she said.
She asked park visitors to abide by the oil spill-related signs that have been posted at the park.
The spill is just the latest problem to emerge at the long-vacant brewery site south of Custer Way. Since fall 2018, the brewery was twice damaged by fire and the property owner has been fined for city and building code violations. The city and owner recently agreed on steps to address its dilapidated state.
This story was originally published March 5, 2019 at 3:33 PM.
