Higgens oil sheen source sought

COEUR d'ALENE — Heavy equipment that sank into Lake Coeur d'Alene more than 30 years ago is believed to be the source of an oil sheen that appeared on the lake's surface at Higgens Point this week.

"It's in the right spot," said Megan Jahns, Idaho Transportation Department spokeswoman.

ITD and Department of Environmental Quality officials visited Higgens Point Thursday to take a look at the sheen that seemed to bubble up about 50 yards from shore and drift in. Able Clean-Up Technologies from Spokane placed an oil-containment boom along about 75 yards of shoreline.

Jahns said a diver will be brought in, perhaps today but more likely on Monday, to try and determine source of the oil.

Then, ITD and DEQ will develop a cleanup plan.

The sheen was first spotted by local photographer Stephen Peak.

While walking Wednesday on the paved path toward Higgens Point, he noticed the oil sheen on the water. He took a few photos and posted them on his Facebook page, with plans to contact ITD.

Thursday morning, he heard from ITD. The agency asked for more pictures and details.

While it is possible the sheen could be from another source, perhaps a boat that lost fuel, it's most likely from a D9 dozer that fell in the lake during Interstate 90 construction in 1990.

A 631 CAT Scraper also slid into the east side of the lake while crews were laying fill for an interchange. The two pieces of machinery were buried in 200,000 cubic yards of fill material.

Regulatory agencies agreed it was better to leave them at the bottom of the lake than risk tearing up the lake bed and the spawning area there, according to a previous Press report.

In 2000, the dozer began leaking. It leaked again in 2010. Both leaks were quickly repaired.

Peak said he also returned to Higgens Point on Thursday to take pictures and came across ITD and DEQ officials surveying the scene. The sheen was still there and bald eagles were overhead.

Bozeman, Mont., photographer Jeff Brenner was at Higgens Point early Thursday and into the late afternoon.

He said he didn't see any bald eagles try to pick up kokanee floating in the sheen or come near it along the shoreline.

"They weren't really even coming close to it," he said.

Brenner said the men placing the oil-containment boom along the shoreline paid close attention to detail and asked questions about the kokanee and eagles.

Jahns said they did not place the boom farther out in the water because a storm was expected to come in, and it would not be effective.

Wildlife officials could not say Thursday if the sheen posed a health threat to the bald eagles that arrive in that area each year to feed on the spawning kokanee.

The most recent BLM count of eagles, Dec. 2, recorded 87 adults and 26 juveniles.