You know the recent oil spill into Capitol Lake? Attend this meeting for more information

A public meeting is set for Thursday to discuss the recent Tumwater brewery oil spill and the response to it.

The state Department of Ecology, which has been involved with the cleanup effort in the Deschutes River and Capitol lake, is hosting the meeting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at The Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St. NW.

People and organizations that own property along the lake are especially encouraged to attend. Ecology has contacted waterfront owners to request access for cleanup work along private shorelines as they work to remove oil that’s coated vegetation.

Toward the end of February, an electrical transformer on Boston Street Southwest at the former Olympia brewery was damaged by vandals and spilled oil. The transformer had a capacity of 677 gallons, although it’s not known how much oil spilled.

The oil contained a low concentration of PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, that does not pose an immediate risk to human health and safety, according to an Ecology news release. However, PCBs released into water bodies can accumulate and reach harmful levels in fish.

The oil in the transformer along Boston Street was ultimately replaced with mineral oil. Still, tests have found a residual amount of PCBs.

After the spill, the owner of the brewery hired a company called CCS (Cowlitz Clean Sweep) to clean it up.

Regular updates about the spill response are found on Ecology’s website and on Twitter @ecysw.

This story was originally published April 16, 2019 at 3:02 PM.