Avista takes its responsibility to protect the environment seriously, and we hold ourselves accountable to this responsibility. That’s why the Environmental Compliance group at Avista is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond immediately to environmental emergencies. In the case of an oil spill originating from any of our facilities, lines or poles, we immediately implement emergency spill procedures and begin working with the appropriate local, state and federal agencies to assess the situation and begin clean-up.
Avista responds to all spills, regardless of size, location or oil type. The goal is to safely and efficiently reduce potential harm to fish, wildlife, natural resources, water supplies and the surrounding community.
Avista crews and personnel respond directly to many spills. For larger spills Avista has on call contracts with emergency spill response companies. These firms specialize in clean up of sensitive areas such as waterways and are able to mount appropriate responses. Avista is also a voluntary member of the Spokane River Response Group, organized by the Washington Department of Ecology, a collaborative effort made up of local, state, and federal oil spill responders as well as members of industry. This group was developed to address the need for oil spill preparedness and response along the Spokane River. Members of the group share resources and collaborate on training to make coordination on spill responses efficient and effective.
For more information on Avista’s spill response, contact: