Murray, Cantwell, Herrera Beutler Urge Federal Agencies to Immediately Address Needed Repairs to Tunnel at Spirit Lake

Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) have sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Geological Survey, urging the administration to immediately make necessary repairs to a failing tunnel in Washington state. The 1.6 mile tunnel, constructed following the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, provides an outlet for Spirit Lake that prevents flooding.

In the letter, the members expressed their concern, writing, "…we wish to ensure federal agencies are doing everything in their power to prevent a structural failure, including communicating their needs to Congress. Complete failure of this tunnel in the shadow of Mount St. Helens could be catastrophic to Washington state on multiple levels."

More than 48,000 people live in the region around Mount St. Helens and could be affected in the event the tunnel fails and mudflows occur. Mudflows could also cause significant issues in the Columbia River, a major route for maritime traffic.

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