Cleanup
Update
For More Information:
Diana Hammer, 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
http://www.cfrtac.org
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 304,153 hours without time lost to injury.
Issue #86
August 5,2009
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.I 5th St., Ste.3200
Helena, Montana 59626
Water truck spraying haul roads to
control dust on-site, 8/4/09.
REMEDIATION AND RESTORATION
As of Monday, 2,786,891 tons (~ 2,143,762 cubic
yards) of sediment have been excavated, loaded and
hauled off-site. This portion of the project is 97%
complete. Removal, loading, and hauling of the con-
taminated sediments to the Anaconda Smelter
Superfund Site should be complete in September.
Continuing to excavate sediments from under the
former rail spur area.
On August 5, remove additional 500 feet of rail
to allow excavation from under this area as well. The train will be shortened to sections
of 15 rail cars each and will require switching trains mid-morning and mid-afternoor Crews
are doing their best to avoid switching out trains during the busy school arrival and depar-
tures times. Sediment hauling should be completed in mid-September so there should only
be a short overlap with the school schedule.
Work continues on the Restoration Grading Plan excavation of materials, construction of
river channel, wetlands and planting swales.
134,000 cubic yards of material have been moved to the Bypass Channel Stockpile.
Last week, Restoration completed the upstream diversion of the Clark Fork River. This
will allow most of the construction of Restoration Reach CFR3B to occur in the "dry".
FWP "rescued" fish during the diversion, relocating thousands of fishrainbow, cut-
throats, and brown trout, long-nosed dace, sculpin, northern pike minnow, large-scale and
long-nose suckers, and hundreds of young-of-the-year mountain whitef ish.
Continuing sediment excavation from under former rail line area. Sediment excava-
tion is 97% complete. Still "on track" to finish sediment hauling in mid-September.
-------
peon
Events
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 Child-cares
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.
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. Every-
one is welcome to attend.
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;
(JS&S 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 2.2 million cubic yards of
contaminated sediments from the former
Milltown Reservoir area.
FISHERIES UPDATE
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks continues to
monitor the fish populations around the
Milltown project area. David Schmetterling,
FWP fish biologist, reported that they are
monitoring caged fish upstream (on the
Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers) and down-
stream of the Milltown project area (Clark
Fork River near East Missoula, and at
Alberton) and in a spring creek in Clinton.
Caged fish have shown no ill effects from
the Milltown cleanup project this year.
FWP also uses telemetry (radio-tagging) to
monitor fish movement and survival. This
year, there has been less movement and
less mortality than was seen last year. This
spring during high water, FWP completed its
fish population estimates for the area as
well, and data will be available soon. Overall,
the lower volume of sediment transported,
combined with lower water temperatures
and good flows have been beneficial. With
the dam removal creating fish passage, and
the removal of the sediments (copper)
that chronically stressed fish, we may
be seeing the beginning of the recovery
of the local fishery.
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.
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.
------- |