Senator Wyden Demands Federal Review of Crater Lake Concessionaire Contract
US Senator Ron Wyden is asking federal officials to act immediately to prevent concessionaire mismanagement from continuing to pose safety risks to Crater Lake National Park, its visitors, and the employees who live and work at the national park in Southern Oregon.
In a letter written to National Park Service Director Charles Sams, III, Wyden the annual concessionaire assessments paint a troubling picture for Aramark's lack of fulfillment of its important responsibilities at Crater Lake over several years.
Wyden said National Park Service records make it clear that the concessionaire has continually failed to fulfill the requirements of the contract. In the letter, he wrote that Aramark -- doing business as "Crater Lake Hospitality" -- has failed under its contract to perform required maintenance and has created unsafe living conditions for staff.
Senator Wyden's letter also cited diesel spills at contractor-managed facilities, malfunctioning fire alarm systems and unsatisfactory public health inspections. And it noted the lack of investment and deferred maintenance by the contractor has prevented progress on a number of maintenance and improvement projects that the National Park Service has approved.
The Oregon Democrat said he is deeply concerned with the safety issues for guests and employees at Crater Lake. Despite repeated and documented attempts by the Park Service to secure performance, he said it is clear that little progress has been achieved to meaningfully resolve most of these serious issues.
