Cleanup
Update
For More Information:
Russ Forba, EPA
457-5042
forba.russ@epa.gov
Diana Hammer, EPA
457-5040
hammer.diana@epa.gov
Milltown Reservoir
Sediments
Superfund Site
Status: The Milltown Project continues to go very well and is on schedule.
Project personnel have worked 283,621 hours without time lost to injury.
Issue #82
June 10,2009
Keith Large, MT DEQ
841-5039
klarge@mt.gov
Doug Martin, MT NRDP
444-0234
dougmartin@mt.gov
REMEDIATION
As of Sunday, 2,550,447 tons (~ 1,961,882 cubic yards) of sediment have been
excavated, loaded and hauled off-site. This portion of the project is 89% complete.
Removal, loading, and hauling of the contaminated sediments TO the Anaconda Smelter
Superfund Site should be complete by September 2009.
An impressive amount of gravel has been deposited below the former dam site. This
material will be part of the restored flood plain in this area. (Photo below 6/9/09).
Peter Nielsen, Missoula Co.
258-4968
Nielsen Pİ ho.missoula.mt.us
Websites:
http://www.epa.gov/
regionS/superfund/sites/
mt/milltown
http://www.cfrtac.org
To view on-going
activities, please visit:
http://www.clarkfork.org/
and click on the webcam.
^
US EPA Montana Office
10 W.I 5th St., Ste.3200
Helena, Montana 59626
These updates are intended to
provide you with the latest
information about remediation,
restoration and redevelopment
activities at the
Milltown Reservoir Superfund Site.
Continue pumping from the 13 wells along the diversion dike at the upstream end of the
Bypass Channel to keep the area drier during excavation of the new Clark Fork River channel.
Recent air monitoring results from the project area detected no lead or arsenic in dust.
Copper was detected but well below levels of concern for public health or the environment.
These results are from samples taken by Envirocon to monitor worker exposures and Site
conditions the week of June 1, 2009. Additional air monitoring results will be taken and
reported as they become available.
RESTORATION
Continue excavating Sediment Accumulation Area II (sub-area L) to prepare for the new
Clark Fork River channel and re-graded f loodplain. Material from this area is being
stockpiled along the Bypass Channel and will be used later in the Bypass Channel reclamation
scheduled for 2011.
> Completed excavation of the buried A-horizon soils from the bottom of the cells.
Workers are stockpiled about 42,000 cubic yards for later use in river restoration.
-------
Monday, July 13
Milltown Banner
Community Council
meeting 7 pm in the
Banner School Library
Tuesday, July 28
Milltown Redevelopment
Working Group regular
bimonthly meeting from
6:00-9:00 pm at a local
park (TBD). Join us for
the meeting and a retire-
ment pot-luck for Russ
Forba. Details to follow.
Monday, August 10
Milltown Banner
Community Council
meeting 7 pm in the
Banner School Library
August 11-13
Children's Environmental
Health Summit:
Greening our Schools
and Daycares
Sponsored by the
Montana Children's
Environmental Health
Network, EPA and DEQ.
Location: Holiday Inn-
Parkside in Missoula.
Evening events on 8/11
and 8/12 are free;
Registration for the
Summit, 8/12-8/13 is
required. Contact Diana
Hammer for more
information, 457-5040.
Upcoming work:
Continue sediment excavation, hauling, and
disposal of contaminated sediments
Envirocon, (JS&S, and Missoula County
continue surface and groundwater
monitoring of Clark Fork River and wells
FWP continues fish monitoring (caged fish
and radio-tagged fish) on sections of the
Blackfoot and Clark Fork Rivers
(JS&S continues to monitor scour and flow
conditions on the Blackfoot River
Restoration work continues
Redevelopment/Park planning continues
Late-June: Remove additional rail track fron
on-site rail line
By September: Complete removal and rail
hauling of 2.2 million cubic yards of contami-
nated sediments from the former reservoir
Digging a new river channel in the former reser-
Note stumps from original f loodplain.
voir area.
rRUJ tGI oGHcDULc
2009 Sediment removal
Rail hauling sediment
Restoration
Redevelopment
2010 Restoration
Redevelopment
2011 Restoration
Redevelopment
FISHERIES UPDATE
The week of June 9, MT Fish, Wild-
life and Parks began conducting its
annual population estimates on river
reaches in the area. FWP personnel
will be electro-fishing the Missoula
section of the Bitterroot, Huson,
Milltown and Turah sections of the
Clark Fork over the next 3-4 weeks.
These are all river sections that FWP
has been monitoring to determine
the effects of the removal activities of
Milltown Dam on fish health and
survival. The timing at which we
conduct an estimate on a particular
river reach is flow dependant. This
week, FWP will be conducting mark-
ing runs on the Bitterroot River.
Caged fish and telemetry studies
done to date have not shown signifi-
cant fish mortality below the dam as
compared to the control sites.
David Schmetterling, FWP, 542-5514.
Wagon wheel found partially exposed in the old
Clark Fork River channel, approximately 100 yards
downstream of the former Duck Bridge. The
wheel was salvage intact and safely stored.
(Photo provided by Envirocon, 6/3/09)
WARMING
Safety Reminder
DURING THE MILLTOWN CLEANUP,
THE CLARK FORK AND BLACKFOOT
RIVERS ARE CLOSED
TO RIVER
RECREATION
ABOVE AND
BELOW THE
PROJECT AREA.
Clark Fork River
users must exit the river at Turah
Fishing Access; Blackfoot River
users must exit at Weigh Station.
VIOLATORS and
TRESPASSERS
WILL BE FINED.
For more information, contact
Montana FWP at 542-5500.
------- |