Lowell, Ore.

An 80,000-pound crane being used for repairs on a dam toppled on its side and stayed there for more than two weeks. No one was injured in the incident, which occurred in early November, but 5 to 10 gallons of fuel or hydraulic oil were spilled into a lake. Most of the spilled fluids have been recovered, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson said, and the boom will remain in place to contain any additional spilling as the crane is removed.

When the incident occurred, the operator was working from the top of the dam. The 50-ton capacity crane's boom swung out over the water, and the base of the crane tipped on its side on a road that runs along the top of the dam.

The crane company and its crews worked for weeks to upright the crane, which involved building a steel support structure around the crane and using hydraulic jacks to safely upright the unit. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is investigating what caused the crane to tip over.
-The Register-Guard