Region 8
Whitefish River Diesel Removal Action
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City: Whitefish County: Flathead
Site Status and Updates
Updated September 2011
Phase III of the sediment removal work is underway and is expected to continue through summer 2012, with a 2–3 month break in winter. Crews will work as far down the river as weather will permit this year and are expected to reach approximately 400 feet downriver of the 2nd Street bridge. Work will continue next year toward Spokane Avenue.
The pedestrian/bike trail will be closed for the duration of the project from the railroad trestle to Miles Avenue for safety reasons. During this time the trail will also need be closed periodically from the 2nd Street bridge to just downstream of Kay Beller Park.
The river was closed on July 25 to all boating and recreational activities from the BNSF rail yard to just downstream of the dredging activities. The length of the closed segment of river will increase as the dredging activities move downstream. This means that by the end of summer 2012, it is likely that the river will need to be closed to the public from the BNSF rail yard continuously to Spokane Avenue.
Site Description
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is overseeing a removal action in Whitefish, Montana to address fuel contamination in the sediments of the Whitefish River. The removal action is authorized by the Oil Pollution Act. The 24-mile-long Whitefish River begins at Whitefish Lake and runs through the town of Whitefish, in Flathead County. Sediments in some areas along the Whitefish River contain petroleum products, namely diesel fuel and heavier oils. Investigations indicate that the petroleum is due to past releases from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) facility to the river. River water carried the petroleum along an approximately two-mile stretch of the Whitefish River, depositing the fuel products into sediments along the way.
Site Risk
The primary contaminants of concern are petroleum fuel products, namely bunker fuel oil and diesel fuel. Exposure to petroleum-containing sediments could pose a risk to human health and the environment.
Cleanup Progress
Color-Coded Map of Estimated Sediment Volumes
Click to view full size PDF image (2.7MB, about PDF)
This is Phase III of the Whitefish River Diesel Sheen Removal Action, which is being conducted under the authority of the Oil Pollution Act. Phase I lasted from September 2009 to January 2010 and focused on the removal of petroleum-containing sediments adjacent to the BNSF facility. Phase II was conducted from July 2010 through January 2011 in a small area above the BNSF property and also below the BNSF property to the 2nd Street bridge. BNSF is conducting all phases of the removal work with EPA oversight.
Phase III of the removal is being conducted from late July 2011 through summer 2012. Crews will work as far down the river as weather will permit this year, likely to the wetlands area, 400 feet downstream from the 2nd Street bridge. Work will continue next year to Spokane Avenue.
The removal technique employed this year will be different than the one employed the last two years near the BNSF property. The previous technique involved removing petroleum-containing sediments by first draining sections of the river using portable dams and pipes. This year, BNSF is using a floating hydraulic dredge. A hydraulic dredge is essentially a river barge with machinery fitted to vacuum the sediment from the river bottom without draining a section of river. EPA and BNSF anticipate this technique will be less impactful and will minimize disturbance to the riverbank. Once the petroleum-containing sediments are removed, they are slurried through a pipe to the BNSF property, dried and disposed of via railcars to a certified landfill. The riverbed will be regraded to approximate pre-removal shape and slope. This removal technique will be conducted almost entirely in the public domain, below the low water mark in the river. EPA and BNSF anticipate very little disturbance to the riverbank.
Site Documents
You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.
Fact Sheet: Whitefish River Diesel Sheen Removal Action, July 2011 (2 pp, 75K)
Contacts
Jennifer Chergo
Office of Communication and Public Involvement
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202-1129
303-312-6601
800-227-8917, ext. 312-6601 (toll free Region 8 only)
chergo.jennifer@epa.gov
Links
2008 Waterbody Report for Whitefish River, EPA Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results