Cleanup
Update
For More Information:
Russ Forba, EPA
457-5042
forba.russ@epa.gov
Milltown Reservoir
Sediments
Superfund Site i
Issue #72
January 21, 2009
Status: The Milltown Project continues to go very well and is on schedule.
Project personnel have worked 245,374 hours without time lost to injury.
Diana Hammer, EPA
457-5040
hammer.diana@epa.gov
Keith Large, MT DEQ
841-5039
klarge@mt.gov
Doug Martin, MT NRDP
444-0234
dougmartin@mt.gov
Peter Nielsen, Missoula Co.
258-4968
Nielsen P© ho.missoula.mt.us
Websites:
http://www.epa.gov/
regionS/superfund/sites/
mt/milltown
http://www.cfrtac.org
Milltown Reservoir
Community Office
(315 Anaconda St., Milltown, MT)
EPA/DEQ are available
to meet with you.
.Just give us a call to talk and/or
to set up a meeting!
These weekly updates are intended
to provide you with the latest
information about remediation,
restoration and
redevelopment activities at the
Milltown Reservoir.
US EPA Montana Office
10 W.I5th St., Ste.3200
Helena, Montana 59626
Removing the final remnants of the Milltown Dam spillway,
To date, workers have removed
1.923.709 tons (approximately
1,479,776 cubic yards) of contami-
nated sediment from the Site and
hauled by rail to the Anaconda
Smelter Superfund Site for Site
reclamation. Excavation is over 64%
complete. Excavation is currently
only occurring under the main haul
road . Site access is limited.
Removal, loading and hauling of con-
taminated sediments should continue
through the fall.
On Tuesday, January 20, 2009,
workers removed the final pieces of
the Milltown Dam spillway. During the final steps of spillway removal, excavators un-
covered outcrops of bedrock near the base of the bluff. As the dam has been re-
moved this past year, it has become more and more obvious why this location must have
looked like an ideal place to build a dam over a century ago. Now the only part of the
dam left to remove are the remnants of the divider block; some of which will be re-
moved before high flow. The remainder of the divider block should come out this sum-
mer and then the dam will be completely out.
• Workers have increased the height of the flood berm along the downstream side
of the Project Area to protect against a 10-year winter high flow event.
Currently, adding rip rap to the flood berm to bring it up to the 10 year high flow event
level. Trucks will be hauling riprap onto the Site from now through February.
De-watering of the spillway removal area. Currently pumping about 1600 gallons/
minute. Water quality is being monitored before discharge into the Clark Fork River.
EPA and the Natural Resource Damages Program (NRDP) are finalising designs for
the Best Management Practices (BMPs) required for erosion control upstream of the
Project Area (in areas 4 and 5). Expect work on these BMPs to begin by mid-February
and for the BMPs to be in place before high flow this spring.
1-90 Bridge bank erosion protection work is underway. The temporary work
bridge is in place and work lias begun on the erosion protection for the east bank.
USACE should be finished in February. This is designed to protect the 1-90 bridge
abutments from a 500 year flood.
Northwestern Energy is now using the new gas pipeline across the Blackfoot.
Workers are preparing the old gas pipeline for removal before spring high flows.
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Upcoming
Events
Sunday, January 25
Banner Area History
Roundtable Program:
"Working at the Mill," a
panel discussion. 2-4 pm
at St. Ann's Church.
Tuesday, January 27
Monthly Milltown
Redevelopment Working
Group meeting 6:30-
8:30 pm at the Banner
Lutheran Church. The
public is welcome!
Weds., January 28
Community Council
Roundtable 7 pm at the
Banner School. Come
and provide your ideas
about the future of your
community!
Sat., February 7
"Hooked on Art"
10 am— 4 pm at the
Banner School. Featur-
ing artist Kendahl Jan
Jubb. Also Community
Art Market, live music,
and lunch. For more
information, please visit
http://www.friendsof2
rivers.org
Reminder: Banner His-
tory Reprints are avail-
able at the Banner
School. Cost is $20.
Copies are also available
at the school during
regular hours or may be
ordered on-line at
http://www.bonner.kl2.
mt.us Call 258-6151 for
[Upcoming work:
Continue sediment excavation and hauling.
Continue monitoring surface and ground-
water.
Continue 1-90 bridge work—install east
side and install east side bank erosion
protection.
Installation of river restoration grade
control structures. Restoration struc-
tures will be placed in the spillway area
prior to the coffer dam breach planned
for March.
Implementation of BMPs in areas 4 and 5,
and the spillway coffer dam area to limit
downstream transport of sediments.
rnt.u;
more
information.
PROJECT SCHEDl
2008 Sediment removal
Rail hauling sediments
I Build coffer dams
Powerhouse removal
Stage 2 drawdown
MRL bridge mitigation
Replace Hwy 200 bridge
Replace walking bridge
Spillway removal
2009 1-90 Bridge mitigation
Stage 3 drawdown
Sediment removal
To view on-going activities
please visit:
http'V/www.clarkf ork.org/
and click on the webcam.
2010
2011
T
Restoration
Redevelopment
Restoration
Redevelopment
Restoration
Redevelopment
Section of the main haul road
that has been removed
Excavation cell walls that have
been removed
Spillway coffer dam that will be breached in March 2009. At that point, the joint Clark Fork
and Blackfoot River channel will flow along the base of the Milltown bluff (not visible from this
view). Much of the material on the far side of the spillway area (including portions of the
divider block) will be removed before high flow this spring. Photo taken 1/20/09.
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