Chemical spill causes fish die-off in Johnson Creek

A chemical release from a Southeast Portland foundry has left a trail of dead fish and aquatic life in Johnson Creek. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality traced the contamination to a stormwater outfall belonging to Precision Castparts. The incident disrupted the local ecosystem and raised new questions about the company's management of industrial processes.

In mid-September, staff at Precision Castparts were installing an air-quality control device at the facility. Process water from this new equipment entered the site's stormwater system instead of its intended location. The company estimated that roughly 394 gallons of sodium hydroxide entered the creek. Smaller quantities of sodium hydrosulfide and sodium chlorite were also released.

Local residents noticed the problem first. A parent visiting Tideman Johnson Park with a class from Sunnyside Environmental School saw foam on the water and numerous dead fish. The report prompted the Johnson Creek Watershed Council to contact state and city authorities. Investigators from the DEQ, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Portland, and Oregon State Police examined a one-to-two-mile stretch downstream from the outfall.

DEQ confirmed that the discharge caused a major die-off of aquatic life. Michael Loch, a public affairs specialist for the agency, stated that the wastewater was not supposed to enter that system. On October 23, regulators issued a pre-enforcement notice to Precision Castparts. The notice cites two Class I water-pollution violations and begins the formal enforcement process.

Precision Castparts acknowledged the error in a statement. The company said it stopped using the equipment immediately after the release began. It also outlined steps to prevent similar discharges in the future. The notice is not a final fine, but it can lead to civil penalties or a court order requiring corrective actions.

The incident follows a long history of environmental scrutiny for the facility. In 2011, a chemical release triggered shelter-in-place warnings for nearby residents. In 2015, a U.S. Forest Service study found elevated levels of nickel and arsenic in moss samples near the plant. That study contributed to a class-action lawsuit that ended in 2022 with a $22.5 million settlement.

Noah Jenkins, conservation director for the Johnson Creek Watershed Council, has worked on stream restoration for nearly 20 years. He described the recent fish kill as a major setback for the area. "This is very out of the ordinary," Jenkins said. "I have not seen an event with a major fish kill like this really since I've been working here."

DEQ stated that the specific chemicals released are not expected to pose a long-term public health threat. The agency noted that the substances do not typically accumulate in fish or the environment. They would have been diluted or flushed downstream within hours of the release stopping.

The watershed council plans to tour the Precision Castparts facility to review the process that led to the discharge. Marianne Colgrove, a resident near the park and coordinator for a local stewardship group, said the community wants to see better prevention measures. "I want them to do a better job of preventing releases in air and water and land," Colgrove said. "What's it going to take for them to get control over it?"

Regulators have not yet released an exact count of the dead wildlife. The investigation remains open as DEQ decides whether to issue a final penalty or a corrective-action order.