TOKETEE — Giant rolling tires had churned up the soil and moss that clings to the North Umpqua River bank. Carcinogenic goo stuck to the rocks and boulders, and fish spawning beds downstream were left threatened.

The semitruck that careened off Highway 138 East Thursday morning had left a path of destruction.

And while hoisting the truck and trailer out of the water had been no easy task for the tow company that responded, it was by no means the final step in cleaning up the aftermath.

“You can’t just walk away from it,” said Bob Krueger, president of First Strike Environmental of Roseburg, one of several groups and agencies that scurry into action when hazardous spills or other threats to the environment occur.

Some 150 gallons of diesel and more than a dozen gallons of used engine oil full of carcinogens spewing into the environment is no afterthought.

Although much of the diesel was quickly swept away by the fast current, hazardous material crews placed booms and oil traps around the spill site to contain any other gunk that might leak from the contaminated rocks and bank.

“So there’s no future release downstream to effect anybody’s water supply, any fish, any habitat going down the river,” said Isaac Adevai, a project manager and supervisor with First Strike.

On Friday, First Strike’s wildland firefighters, who are cross-trained for hazmat work, could be seen clambering along the bank, spraying rocks blackened with engine oil with Environmental Protection Agency-approved Simple Green, wiping them with cloths or scrubbing them with wire brushes. Moss and other vegetation that had been contaminated were placed in plastic bags to be properly disposed of later.

Water samples were taken along the river, while observation crews kept an eye out for any hint of sheen on the surface. Crews planned to be at the site throughout the weekend and beyond.

Eventually, grass seed will be planted on the torn-up bank to secure the soil and stem erosion. Loose sediment that washes into the river could end up covering up salmon and steelhead spawning beds, burying eggs.

“This whole area is pretty much active steelhead and salmon spawning ground,” said Jacob Kercher, a hazmat specialist with ODOT.

While 150 gallons might not seem like a lot, Kercher and Krueger noted that when all the small spills that occur along the river start to add up, they can have a heavy impact.

Krueger praised Terrain Tamers Chip Hauling Inc., which owns the truck, for immediately reporting the spill and helping with the cleanup process.

The highly regulated and coordinated cleanup efforts also involve the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and other state agencies.

“It’s a cooperation with regulators, ODOT, Fish and Game and everybody to make sure that everybody’s happy,” Krueger said. “… So the stream, the environment is being held together.”

• You can reach reporter Chelsea Duncan at 957-4246 or by e-mail at cduncan@newsreview.info.