10/11/2010
Environmental experts continue to monitor diesel spill along Lochsa River
LOWELL - A unified team of environmental officials and a private consulting firm are continuing efforts to contain seepage from a 7,300-gallon diesel spill along the Lochsa River.
Constant monitoring of the spill that occurred at the end of September on U.S. 12 revealed a slight increase in the number of seepages the past week. The response team includes representatives from the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the state Department of Environmental Quality, the U.S. Forest Service and the Idaho Transportation Department.
Authorities said Monday that recent rain might be causing an increase in the subsurface diesel migration. They continue to remove diesel from three exploration holes drilled in the westbound lane of U.S. 12 last week.
Four additional extraction wells will be drilled within the next 7-10 days in a borrow pit on the north side of the highway where most of the fuel spilled from a tanker truck and pup trailer. The tanker ruptured when it struck a rock embankment along the highway.
The four new wells will help experts determine the extent of saturation and help remove diesel near the water table about 40 feet below the surface.
In an aggressive response to the increased number of seepage points, cleanup teams will install additional booms and absorbent pads in the Lochsa River and will continue to closely monitor the water surface. Future mitigation efforts will depend on what they discover.
They also continue to collect surface water samples from the Lochsa to determine the extent of the diesel migration.
Traffic on U.S. 12 was reduced to a single lane in the spill area, between mileposts 136 and 136. Flaggers will continue to direct traffic on an alternating basis 24 hours per day until the event is cleared. Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling through the work.
- - - - -