Weekly Update For More Information: Russ Forba, EPA 457-5042 forba.russ@epa.gov Diana Hammer, EPA 457-5040 hammer.d ian a@epa.gov Keith Large, MT DEQ 841-5039 klarge@mt.gov Doug Martin, AAT NRDP 444-0234 dougmartin@mt.gov Peter Nielsen, Missoula. Co. 258-4968 NielsenP@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) Office Hours: Tuesdays 1:00-3:00 pm Milltown Reservoir Sediments Superfund Site Status: The Milltown Project continues to go very well and is on schedule. Project personnel have worked 177,938 hours without time lost to injury. Issue #61 June 11,2008 These weekly updates are intended to provide you with the latest information about remediation, restoration and redevelopment activities at the Milltown Reservoir. I \m y US EPA Montana Office I0W. 15th St., Ste.3200 Helena, Montana 59626 Demolition of the remainder of Milltown Dam continues despite the wet weather. The photo above (6/10/08) shows excavators digging into the divider block. The south and east walls of the divider block have been removed; workers are removing the gravels that once filled the interior of the divider block. Once the north wall of the divider block is removed, workers will begin removing the radial gate (accessing it from the north side). That work should begin within the next 2 weeks. Removal of the Dam should take about 5 months. The dam should be completely out this fall! Continue excavating sediments and loading 45 rail cars each day. To date, 983,435 tons (855,161 cubic yards) of sediment have been hauled to the Anaconda Smelter Superfund Site for use in site reclamation. Berm inspections continue. They are functioning very well and as intended. Work continues for replacement of State Highway 200 and Pedestrian bridges over the Blackfoot River in Milltown. Drilling continues for installation of eastside pier on the Hwy 200 Bridge. Both Bridges should be in place this fall. Fish studies continue. Fish, Wildlife, and Parks continues its caged fish and te- lemetry (radio-tagged) fish studies to monitor fish health and movement as a result of dam removal activities. No changes in caged fish mortality. Fish continue to mi- grate upstream of the dam site. FWP began its population monitoring in the Bitter- root River this week; the fish populations in the Turah and Milltown sections of the Clark Fork River will be studied in the next few weeks. The Restoration Program will begin seeding soils to retard weed growth. The flat areas will be broadcast-seeded and the stockpiled soils (sloped) will be hydro-seeded. (Setting desirable species (i.e., regreen, slender, western and thickspike wheatgrass and green needlegrass) established is an effective way to control weed growth. ------- Upcoming Events Northern Pygmy Owl Dipper Chicks Osprey with fish Grebe in the CFR down- stream of old Duck Bridge ffil J! ; - Bald Eagle over CFR In cooperation with EPA, the US Geological Survey has just issued its Milltown Sediment Transport Report: Estimated Loads of Suspended Sediment and Selected Trace Elements Transported Through the Milltown Reservoir in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin. Montana Water Years 2004-2007. The report is available online: http://pubs.uSQS.qov/sir/2008/5080/ Wildlife Photos from the Milltown Project Area taken by Larry Dears, PE, with EMC2 Safety Reminder Durins the Milltown Cleanup, the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers are closed Tuesday, June 17 Monthly meeting of the Milltown Redevelopment Working Group, 6:30 9 pm at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Bon- ner. The next working group meeting will be September 23, 2008. Tuesday, June 24 Restoration Public Hearing 6:30 pm in the Bonner School Commu- nity Room. The state is seeking public comment on a restoration funding proposal on how to spend money recovered in a natural resource damage settlement with ARCO on restoration projects in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin. The proposal. Draft Conceptual Framework for an UCFRB Restora- tion Priorities Road Map, will be subject of a 60-day public com- ment period ending on August 15, 2008 and public hearings in Bon- ner and 3 other com- munities. Written com- ments may be sent to the Natural Resource Damage Program, P.O. Box 201425, Helena, MT 59620-1425, faxed to 444-0236 or e-mailed to nrdp@mt.gov. This pro- posal is also available on the NRDP website at: http: //do.i. mt. gov/ la nds/rta tu ra I r-e s ou rce / restorationroadmap. asp Upcoming work: Continue sediment excavation and hauling. Continue removal of the remainder of the Milltown Dam; removal should take about 5 months to complete. Work continues on Hwy 200 bridge (AADT) Work continues on the Bonner Pedestrian bridge (Missoula County). To view on-going activities, visit: http'.//www.clarkfork.org/ click on the webcam. PROJECT SCHEDULE 2008 Sediment removal Rail hauling sediments Build coffer dams Powerhouse removal Stage 2 drawdown MRL bridge mitigation Replace Hwy 200 bridge Replace walking bridge Spillway removal 2009 Sediment removal Restoration Redevelopment 2010 Restoration Redevelopment 2011 Restoration Redevelopment 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 Mon- tana FWP at 542-5500. River Otter swims near Milltown Dam spillway ¦ MR J*s ------- |