Oil leak aftermath to hit Week 3

SALT LAKE CITY — As the Red Butte Creek oil spill reaches its third-week anniversary Friday, the response is poised to take on a new direction — shifting from cleanup to remediation.

Chevron spokesman Dan Johnson said less than five barrels of oil remain in the creek system and cleanup crews continue to focus on the most contaminated area impacted by the incident — that of the spill site itself near Red Butte Gardens.

"We're cleaning the banks as necessary," Johnson said, "and trying to pry this stuff out of the rocks and into the (absorbent) booms."

By Monday, Johnson predicted the company's response to the spill will shift from the urgent but painstaking nature of cleanup to long-term and even more tedious remediation efforts.

"At first, it was day by day, and it went to week by week, and at this stage, it will be month to month to once again ask the question, 'How clean is clean?' to the satisfaction of the community."

Earlier this week, Salt Lake City submitted a first invoice of $125,000 to Chevron, which Johnson said was approved and will be paid in the next few days.

Another town hall meeting is scheduled to be held some time during the week of July 12.

"We promised residents at the first meeting we would keep them updated, and that is what we intend to do," Johnson said, adding that the company is continuing to receive property damage claims or other forms of compensations claims from impacted residents.

At least 40 claims for compensation had been submitted to Chevron.

The company is also deferring to the city's method of cleansing the culverts of any residual oil that may collected in the drainage system, along with other debris.

Robin Carbaugh, the community ombudsman appointed by Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker to act as a confidential liaison on oil spill issues, said Wednesday she's been getting about five to eight calls a day.

"Generally, people that call want to talk about more than one thing," Carbaugh said. "They want information on what stage the cleanup is in, testing, their personal safety ... what role federal and state agencies are playing in the process."

On Wednesday, Carbaugh was on her way to a sit-down with Chevron officials.

Meanwhile, the company has relocated its cleanup operations away from Liberty Park, which Johnson said will be open — with the exception of the pond — for summer activities.

Chevron and federal officials are continuing to investigate the cause of the spill, which could have resulted from an electrical arc from a nearby power pole causing a hole in the pipeline.

Contributing: Arthur Raymond

e-mail: amyjoi@desnews.com