The Army Corps sent the following statement to KGW News in response to questions about the breach of security at Bonneville Dam and illegal shooting of sea lions:

Thank you for an opportunity to respond to your questions about the security at Bonneville Lock and Dam. I know you can appreciate there is little I can say about how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers protects a facility the size and complexity of Bonneville Dam.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains several levels of security at its facilities designed to safeguard people and property. We are confident that the measures and procedures in place are sufficient to protect the critical structures at our facilities. We continuously monitor our security procedures to ensure the highest protection possible, and make changes as needed. In light of this incident, we are reviewing our procedures and make any necessary modifications.

On May 3 or 4, 2008, we believe one or more persons gained access to Cascades Island, a restricted area, which is part of the Bonneville Lock and Dam complex and killed four California sea lions and two Stellar sea lions. Obviously, the perpetrators of this egregious act did so without our knowledge and were on this island without our permission. Cascades Island is closed to the public. Additionally, none of our critical structures or facilities was compromised.

The Corps of Engineers is cooperating with federal and state authorities to determine how these individuals gained access to this restricted area. Until that investigation is complete the Corps cannot provide any additional information to your station or the public, as it could compromise the investigation and our ability to bring those responsible for this act to justice, and our ability to protect this and other facilities.