Sewage in Drinking Water: Lodge Cover-Up
Claimed
News Journal
Mansfield, O.
August 4, 1975
EUGENE. Ore. (UPI) —Actions were taken at a privately operated lodge in
Crater Lake National Park to keep the public from knowing about a
gastroenteritis sickness that eventually closed the park, it was reported
Sunday.
The park, which features the nation's deepest lake, was closed July 11 when
health officials discovered that a blocked sewer line had resulted in raw sewage
draining into the park's main drinking water source.
The park reopened last Friday and water purification equipment on loan from
the Army is still being used in the park.
The Eugene Register-Guard, in an copyrighted article, also charged that park
rangers failed to detect the widespread illness among park employes and visitors
in the weeks prior to the park's closure.
Sen. Mark 0. Hatfield (R-Ore.) has been assured of a congressional
investigation into the events surrounding the 21- day closure of the park,
believed to be unprecedented in national park history, the paper said.
The Register-Guard investigation revealed that:
— Water samples taken in May — nearly two months before the park closure —
showed a portion of the park's system to be contaminated.
— More than 100 park employes were sick on June 30 — 12 days before the park
was closed — even though the park superintendent, Richard Sims, said that he had
reports of no more than 10 people sick on any one day.
— Employes of Crater Lake Lodge were handling food when sick with diarrhea.
— Employes said they were told by supervisors not to talk about their illness
around the tourists, and that they witnessed newspapers containing stories about
the illness being hid from the tourists.
— Klamath County health officials asked to inspect the park's water and
restaurant facilities but were discouraged from doing so by park officials.
Crater Lake Lodge, Inc. holds a 30-year lease from the National Park Service
to operate a lodge, two restaurants, grocery store, snack bar, drug store and 27
cabins.
Ann Hurley, 20, Portland. Ore., an employee, told the paper, "the thing that
made me the maddest was there were no facilities, no infirmaries, no doctors, no
nurses."
"They told us over and over that all we had was the flu — the Crater Lake
Crud." Miss Hurley said. She said they were told 'it happens every year. They
told us to drink lots of liquid — to drink the water'
