Tips Sought in Canal Dumping East of Bend
Deschutes County sheriff?s deputies are seeking the public?s help in finding a man who dumped a white or milky-colored substance into an irrigation canal east of Bend Sunday afternoon. They stressed there is no apparent danger to humans and no indication it was done to poison or tamper with the canal.
?At this point, it appears the male was cleaning some piece of equipment and was using the canal as a dump site,? said a news release from Sgts. Vance Lawrence and Chad Davis.
Around 1:30 p.m., 911 dispatchers received a citizen report of a man pumping or dumping the unknown substance from a large white container, located in or on a utility trailer that was being towed by a tan or two-tone tan and brown pickup truck with a canopy.
It was parked on a canal road, just out of sight and west of Waugh Road and just south of McGrath Road, the deputies said.
The trailer appeared to contain a square or rectangular container that had hoses coming from it, Lawrence and Davis said.
When ?deputies arrived on scene, it was obvious that there was a high concentration of a whitish or milky colored substance that had been introduced into the Central Oregon Irrigation (District) canal system at this location,? the sergeants? news release said.
Further investigation led to the location of the dumpsite, as well as collection of more evidence, they said.
COID was contacted and took steps to try to contain or control the flow of the material, Lawrence and Davis said.
According to the irrigation district, no customers downstream use the water for human consumption, and there were few customers downstream from the dumpsite, they said.
The sheriff?s office asked for the public?s assistance in identifying the male and/or his vehicle. Anyone with information that could lead to the man or location of the vehicles is asked to contact the sheriff?s office at (541) 493-6911.
You also can call the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 1-877-876-TIPS. You can remain anonymous, and you could get a cash reward.
