Cleanup Update For More Information: Diana Hammer, US EPA 457-5040 hammer.diana@epa.gov Keith Large, MT DEQ 841-5039 klarqe@mt.gov Doug Martin, MT NRDP 444-0234 douqmartin@mt.gov Peter Nielsen, Missoula Co. 258-4968 Nielsen P© ho.missoula.mt.us Websites: http://www.epa.gov/ regionS/superfund/sites/ mt/milltown To view on-going activities, please visit: http://www.clarkfork.org/ and click on the webcam. Milltown Reservoir Sediments Superfund Site A Status: The Milltown Project continues to go very well and is on schedule. Project personnel have worked 309, 027 hours without time lost to injury. Issue #87 August 19,2009 REMEDIATION AND RESTORATION • As of Monday, 2,867,292 tons (~ 2,205, 609 cubic yards) of sediment have been excavated, loaded and hauled off-site. This portion of the project is near!/ complete — only about 130,000 cubic yards of sediment remain to be excavated. Removal, loading, and hauling of the contaminated sediments to the Anaconda Smelter Superfund Site should be complete in mid-September 2009—nearly two years from the start of sediment hauling by rail. • Continuing to excavate sediments from under the former rail spur area. • Next Monday, August 24, remove additional 400 feet of rail to allow excavation from under this area as well. The train will be halved again from sections of 15 cars to sections of 7 cars each. This will require additional switching of trains. Crews will c!o their best to avoid switching out trains during the busy school arrival and departures times. Sediment hauling should be completed in mid-September so there should only be a short over 4p with the school schedule. Please bear with us as this phase of the project nears completion. • EPA coordinated with the State and Mineral, Missoula, and Sanders Counties to select locations of sediment samples along the Clark Fork River from Sha-Ron Fishing Access downstream to Thompson Falls. This sampling effort is similar to that done last year. 2008 sampling results showed the levels of arsenic in sediments to be well below levels con- sidered to be safe for recreational use (levels that were low enough to even be considered safe under residential exposure scenarios). We expect this year's sample results to be low — safe — like those from 2008. Sample results will be shared with the public later this fall. • Work continues on the Restoration Grading Plan— excavation of materials from areas M and J, construction of river channel, wetlands and planting swales. • 142,000 yds3 of general fill material have been moved to the Bypass Channel stockpile. • Placing growth media (see photo below) in Restoration Area J of the former reservoir. V These updates are intended to provide you with the latest information about remediation, restoration and redevelopment activities at the Milltown Reservoir Superfund Site. US EPA Montana Office 10 W.I5th St., Ste.3200 Helena, Montana 59626 I u. 3 a. 0 ------- Upcoming Events Thursday, August 20 Trustee Resource Council meeting re: the proposed SAA Ill-b Sediment Removal. For more information, call MT NRDP at 444-0205. Sunday, August 30 Community at the Confluence (of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers) Celebration of arts and the environment around Milltown and Bon- ner. Details to come... Monday, September 14 Banner Community Council meeting 7 pm Banner School Library. Tuesday, September 22 Milltown Redevelopment Working Group regular monthly meeting 6:30 pm at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Banner. Sept. 30-October 2 Waters that Cross Divides—Joini Confer- ence of the Montana Section of the American Water Resources Asso- ciation and the Univer- sity of Montana Center for Riverine Science. The conference will be held at the Holiday Inn Parkside in Missoula. For more information and to register, please visit: http://water.montana.ed u/awra/registration/ default.asp Upcoming work: • Continue sediment excavation, hauling, and disposal of contaminated sediments; • Envirocon, US(5S, U of M, and Missoula Co. continue surface and groundwater monitor- ing 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; • USSS continues to monitor scour and flow conditions on the Blackfoot River; • Restoration work continues excavating new river channel and stockpiling Buried A- horizon soils for later use; • Continue restoration work in the very upper end of the reservoir (above former Duck Bridge) in SAA- IV and V; creating a new channel. Access will be off Rustic Road. • Redevelopment/Park planning continues; • September 2009: Complete removal and rail hauling of over 2.2 million cubic yards of contaminated sediments from the former Milltown Reservoir area. Placing growth media (soils that will help establish f loodplain vegetation), 8/18/09. PROJECT SCHEDULE 2009 Sediment removal Rail hauling sediment Restoration Redevelopment 2010 Restoration Redevelopment 2011 Restoration Redevelopment WARNING 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. Growth media placed on wetlands and swales for base of future river restora- tion work—an area previously filled with contaminated sediments. Photo 8/18/09. Approximate location of the Area Illb sediments. Discussions progress regarding removal of these sediments (about 230,000 yd3). If an agreement is reached, these could be removed later this year. ------- |