Crews are expected to begin removing diesel-contaminated sediment this week from Whitefish Lake, reports flatheadbeacon.com.
Jennifer Chergo of the Environmental Protection Agency said a mechanical dredge mounted on a barge will excavate and remove about 400 cubic yards of sediment.
The sediment will then be transported by boat to trucks and taken to BNSF’s nearby property, where it will be dried along with contaminated sediment from a Whitefish River cleanup project.
The sediment is then taken by train to a facility in North Dakota. Chergo said the Whitefish Lake project should be finished by the first week of July.
Meanwhile, the Whitefish River cleanup project is entering its fourth and anticipated final phase, with work slated to last from now “ through August, at least ,” Chergo said.
Using a hydraulic dredge, crews are removing petroleum-contaminated sediment from the river bottom.
Studies have shown that the contamination is derived from BNSF’s fueling facility, located near the river.
The rail company is responsible for conducting the cleanup under the Oil Pollution Act.
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Dredging Today Staff, May 28, 2012; Image: watertectonics