The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking public comment on a draft work plan to clean up contamination at the former Stimson DeArmond Saw Mill property, located at 927 River Ave., Coeur d’Alene. The 17-acre property is contaminated with petroleum products from historic lumber, petroleum, and pole yard operations. The purpose of the work plan is to describe the proposed cleanup method selected and its implementation.
This includes the property North Idaho College proposes to lease from the North Idaho College Foundation which hopes to buy it from Marshall Chesrown to be used to expand the existing North Idaho College campus. Locally this project is being promoted as “the Education Corridor.”
Comment will be accepted on whether to approve, modify, or reject the work plan.
A public hearing at which the public may provide oral and/or written comments on the work plan will be held at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at North Idaho College, Molstead Library, Todd Lecture Hall, Room 101, 1000 West Garden Avenue, Coeur d’Alene.
A court reporter will be present at the public hearing to record oral comments. DEQ will not be making a presentation at the public hearing.
Here are links to relevant documents:
The report seems thorough and complete. Essentially it identifies that much of the chemistry on the site are within the standards for soils that naturally occur in this region. Remediating those soils would be like trying to improve on mother nature. Still they do have several “hot spots’ that will be dug out and replaced. That work is to be done in short order and DEQ site certification will be applied for when that is complete. Once the DEQ releases the site it should be good to go.
Comment by Wallypog — April 27, 2009 @ 5:08 pm
I’m told this mill site was where they made creosote for many, many years. Is that one of the “hot spots” you refer to, Wallypog?
Comment by mary — April 27, 2009 @ 5:38 pm
I don’t know about the creosote, Mary….
Comment by Wallypog — April 28, 2009 @ 7:51 am