Hearing delayed to allow time for tests

The BNSF Railway refueling depot will likely stay closed for at least three more weeks.

A court hearing to determine the future operations of the depot was scheduled for Friday, but the railroad asked for an extension until April 28 to allow for more definitive tests, said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas.

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality asked for more precise tests in which special gases are injected between the two layers of fuel containment membranes under the refueling platform, said Marc Kalbaugh, site remediation manager for DEQ. Sensors are then used to determine if the gases can escape through either layer.

In February, cracks were found throughout the concrete refueling platform. Subsequent investigations found leaking pipe seals below the platform. The railroad has been conducting a massive overhaul of the 7-month-old depot since a judge ordered it closed at the end of February.