(The Idaho State Journal posted the following article by Emily Jones on its website on July 11.)
POCATELLO, Idaho — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will oversee a site investigation of soil and groundwater at a Union Pacific rail yard in downtown Pocatello, while UP works to clean up a diesel plume in the same area.
DEQ officials said Wednesday that the two projects are separate.
The decision to order an investigation came after the Environmental Protection Agency conducted a preliminary assessment of the area in July 2002 in response to citizen complaints.
DEQ received complaints of leaking oil in the diesel shop, burned railcars, tipped and leaking transformers and foul smells when digging in the area.
Union Pacific officials were unavailable for comment Wednesday.
After a general assessment, EPA recommended further review, and agreed DEQ would be the lead agency in the matter, said DEQ Regional Environmental Manager Doug Tanner.
Union Pacific is currently planning to build a new city well to replace a well near the downtown site after the company discovered diesel contamination in 1999, and installed a carbon filtration system at a current well.
Under the proposed order, Union Pacific will have 60 days to submit a work plan, including a timeline, to DEQ.
The work plan will describe how Union Pacific plans to test soil and water in the area, and list chemicals that might be of concern.
“They know their facility. They should be able to tell us what chemicals could possibly be in the environment,” Tanner said.
DEQ will also have an employee overseeing the process.
“We will work with them to identify those possible sources (of contamination),” Tanner said. “We’re going to put a lot of effort into this.”
After Union Pacific submits a plan, DEQ will have 30 days to respond, Tanner said. Although there will be no formal comment period, Tanner said he wants to hear from the public.
“We would like public information brought to us, if people have concerns,” he said.
After the work plan is approved, DEQ officials anticipate the investigation will begin in the fall. The next step will depend on what is found, Tanner said.
The investigation will include the rail yard between Oak and Gould Streets, and Yellowstone and Shoshone avenues along the railroad tracks to Stansbury Street. The investigation could also include the abandoned hump yard near Cheyenne crossing and the Union Pacific wastewater treatment plant.