(The Associated Press circulated the following story on January 3.)
HAUSER, Idaho — North Idaho environmentalists are accusing the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroad of delaying the release of information about water and soil contamination from a leak at its refueling depot to conceal information about the spill.
The leak at BNSF’s Hauser depot, which opened four months ago, was discovered Dec. 10. It came from a broken wastewater pipe.
On Dec. 30, the preliminary results of water samples showed detectable levels of petroleum hydrocarbons in the giant underground aquifer that’s the sole source of drinking water for more than 400,000 people in Eastern Washington and northern Idaho.
“Not only did they delay their release of the documents, but they released them during the New Year’s holiday, making it impossible to get questions answered because the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality was closed,” said Barry Rosenberg, executive director of the Kootenai Environmental Alliance. “There is an obligation on the part of BNSF and the DEQ to provide a full and honest disclosure.”
Gus Melonas, a BNSF spokesman, said the public was notified as soon as possible of the “extremely complex and comprehensive” analysis.
DEQ officials have said it does not appear the drinking water is a safety risk for people in the region.
BNSF has already spent more than $1 million on the investigation, Melonas said