Next phase of river cleanup involves 2 dams

A second phase of cleanup to remove petroleum-contaminated sediment from the Whitefish River will begin the week of July 26 in Whitefish.

BNSF Railway Co. is conducting the cleanup with oversight from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Last year the railroad company removed roughly 36,000 cubic feet of oily sludge from a 500-foot-long stretch in the river’s upper reach near the railroad fueling facility.

The EPA will hold a public meeting about the latest cleanup from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 21, at the Whitefish Community Center, 121 Second Street East in Whitefish from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

 The upcoming work will be conducted in two parts and will involve installing portable dams across the river, according to EPA spokeswoman Jennifer Chergo.

The portable dams for the first part will be installed just below the Second Street Bridge at Kay Beller Park and near the BNSF property where the first-phase work was conducted last year.

The portable dams for the second part will be installed near the BNSF property and below the railroad trestle bridge. Between the two dams, the river will be routed through three 48-inch pipes, allowing the riverbed to be exposed.

BNSF then will remove the contaminated sediments, regrade the riverbed to approximate pre-removal shape and slope, stabilize the bank and restore the vegetation.

Work on the initial cleanup that wrapped up in January will continue this summer as BNSF stabilizes the riverbank and revegetates that area, Chergo said.

There are about 15 private properties adjacent to the Phase II work area, but the work primarily will be conducted in the public domain, below the low water mark, except at equipment access points and where the portable dams are placed, she said.

This work will last three to four months. During this time, the pedestrian/bike trail and the river access will be closed from Miles Avenue to the railroad trestle for safety reasons. Signs will be posted along the trail.

The Whitefish River cleanup is being done in three phases. The final phase will be completed in 2011.

The EPA ordered the cleanup in connection with a 2007 report of a sheen on the Whitefish River in multiple locations and a resulting investigation that discovered petroleum products were contaminating river sediments in many areas along the river.