Oroville Spillway Dust Mitigation
Because heavy equipment and controlled blasting at the Lake Oroville spillways cause dust plumes in the construction zone, DWR has measures in place to ensure we are in compliance with local and State air quality regulations. DWR is conducting continuous air quality monitoring, which includes dust monitors and asbestos sampling apparatus located at the perimeter of the construction site.
Representative air quality testing is also done during the drilling process to place controlled explosives, and all test results from drilling to date have been negative for asbestos. In addition, none of the airborne asbestos monitoring equipment set up at perimeter locations at the construction site have detected levels that exceed established health-based threshold values.
Crystalline silica may also be present in the concrete chute blasts, but it is not considered a hazard to the public. Any airborne concentration quickly dissipates to a safe level.
Construction workers are not required to wear respirators because measured exposure levels to date have been well below the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) permissible exposure limit.
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