Oregon Public Broadcasting

Evergreen Aviation is battling the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection -- in an effort to get it to use Evergreen's new supertanker. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.

McMinnville-based Evergreen has invested $55 million dollars to convert a 747 Jumbo Jet into a water tanker.

The plane can travel to a fire at 600 miles per hour, slow down and then drop 20,000 gallons of fire suppressant.

But the California Forestry Department awarded a three-year, multi-million dollar contract to a California company that uses smaller DC-10 planes. 

Evergreen Attorney Dana Hobart says Evergreen could save taxpayers more than $3 million over the California company, called '10 Tanker.'

Dana Hobart: "We think that the way they've done this shows a favoritism towards 10 Tanker and an abuse of the agency's discretion."

The California Department of General Services has 30 days to call a hearing or rule on the issue.

Meanwhile, Evergreen's supertanker has been stationed down in Mississippi, awaiting a call from BP to help spread oil dispersants in the Gulf.

On the Web:

Evergreen SupertankerDC-10 Airtanker