Yesterday, (March 11), there was what I assume to be an oil spill on my road. It was on the upper part of 13th Street (from Walnut to Angelica). It was about a foot and ran the length of the road. It was there most of the day, from what I saw. I couldn't say where it was from, but the city has been doing a lot of work at the water towers area in the past week.

Around 3 p.m. March 11, a crew of city workers came and spread some white powder on the spill. I don't know what it was, but I took a sample of it. They spread it and left. It sat all night. Most of it blew all over the road and ended up along the curb and under our cars.

Today, around 9 a.m., a street sweeper came and did one sweep from the top of the hill down. That was it. That was the extent of the cleanup. There is still white powder all over.

I don't think this is the way this environmental hazard should be dealt with especially in an area that the storm drains lead to streams and rivers.

I am disappointed in the City of Corvallis.

Janell Glass, Corvallis

Editor's note: Steve Rogers, the director of Corvallis' Public Works Department, responded Wednesday:

My investigation today found that a city Public Works vehicle had an hydraulic oil leak at about 2 p.m. on March 11 on the north end of Northwest 13th Street. Oil-absorbent material was placed on the oil, and a sweeper did responded on the afternoon of March 11 to pick up the oil absorbent.

The sweeper returned on the 12th to pick up any remaining material. I would note that the material is very light weight and is difficult to contain and pick up. Any of the material that actually did retain the oil was heavier and likely picked up by the street sweeper on the first day. The spill occurred in the middle of the street and was not of significant quantity to run into the storm drain system. Our efforts were intended to remove as much of the oil as possible from the street so that rainfall would not carry the oil to the street curb and then downstream.

As a result of this incident, City Public Works will be converting vehicle hydraulic systems from petroleum-based oil to biodegradable oil.