Anger vented at spill forum
Although initial tests show only small amounts of toxic chemicals seeped into the region’s aquifer from a Hauser, Idaho, railroad refueling facility, high levels of concern and frustration were expressed at a public forum in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday.
The meeting, hosted by the Kootenai Environmental Alliance, was the first of its kind since a wastewater spill was discovered at the depot Dec. 10. The group’s director, Barry Rosenberg, said an opportunity was needed for state officials to share the facts of the spill directly with the public.
“This has been an extremely nervous time for a lot of our residents,” Rosenberg said.
Representatives from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality shared the results from soil and water samples gathered from below the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Co. refueling depot. Most of the contaminants were detected at a depth of 40 to 120 feet below the surface, but traces of toxins were also found at the water table, which lies 160 feet underground.
“There’s not a threat to human health at this time, it does not seem,” said Geoff Harvey, DEQ’s water and remediation manager.
The contamination is blamed on a broken PVC pipe designed to carry wastewater, spilled fuel and other chemicals from a high-speed locomotive refueling platform. Railroad officials believe the pipe was broken during construction of the $42 million facility, which began operating Sept. 1.
Wastewater is no longer carried by the pipe, which has helped to slow the spread of the plume of contamination, Harvey said.
Audience members expressed anger when Harvey said the investigation was being conducted by BNSF. Harvey emphasized that DEQ is providing oversight, but this did little to calm the group. One woman blurted out, “Isn’t that like the fox guarding the henhouse?”
The railroad has until the end of the month to complete an investigation into the spill and submit a report outlining its plans for fixing the problem, Harvey said.
One person asked who, other than DEQ, will be privy to negotiations between the state and the railroad on cleaning up the contamination. The Spokesman-Review recently requested copies of correspondence between the DEQ and the railroad. The records revealed little on the negotiations, other than brief mentions of three telephone conference calls held in December.
Harvey said the state has released everything it knows to the public. No decisions have been made yet over how to address the contamination, he said. One audience member said the public deserves a chance to review any plans before they are finalized.
“We are certainly open to all the public’s ideas,” Harvey said. “There might be enough interest here that the corrective action plan goes out for public review.”
A comment by Coeur d’Alene resident Dwight Smith drew applause from the crowd of approximately 50 people.
“What about fining the company to the point that they understand we mean business?” Smith said. “We need to get their attention.”
Eileen Riddle, of Hayden Lake, said she wants more transparency and public participation. She also said the politicians who voted to allow the depot should be held accountable for their decision. “I’m really frustrated. There’s no accountability. If there were, perhaps these things would be less likely to occur.”
Even if initial tests reveal relatively low levels of toxins in the water supply, public outrage is running high and Idaho DEQ needs to prove its ability to serve as an independent watchdog, said Ken Lustig, the retired environmental director of the Panhandle Health District. Lustig opposed constructing the depot over the aquifer.
“You are the guardians. We have to have faith in what you’re doing,” Lustig told the DEQ officials, adding later, “The community has a right to be angry. This is their water supply.”
Lustig cited a 1981 case where 250 gallons of gasoline was spilled in Coeur d’Alene. Five months after the spill, reports emerged of a gasoline taste and smell in the water. Samples from the time showed less than one part per billion of contamination in the city’s water well.
One of the monitoring wells below the railroad refueling facility shows roughly 300 parts per billion of contamination, Lustig said. This might be allowable by federal and state drinking water standards, but that doesn’t mean people want to drink water that reeks of fuel, he said.
“Any amount of diesel or petroleum is unacceptable,” Lustig said.
Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Co. was not invited to speak at the forum. Railroad spokesman Gus Melonas said the company is cooperating with all state requirements.
“An independent engineering firm has been hired by BNSF to conduct a thorough investigation,” Melonas said. “We’re pleased and confident with the findings to this point. However, we will continue to test, analyze, evaluate and remediate to ensure environmental protection and safety of the aquifer.”