Two upper basin open houses set

The public asked for another chance to speak about cleanup in the basin.

They got it.

The Environmental Protection Agency has scheduled two more open houses on the proposed plan for $1.3 billion in cleanup actions in the Upper Basin.

The Oct. 5 meeting in Wallace will be informal, where folks can ask experts directly about the Upper Coeur d'Alene River Basin Proposed Plan, said Anne Dailey, an EPA project manager.

"There will be posters and people to answer questions and walk people through the document," Dailey said.

Another open house will take place the next evening in Smelterville, where folks will also be free to chat with project managers and ask questions, Dailey said.

"We wanted to have an open house in both Wallace and Smelterville to reach folks throughout the basin," she said.

The first open house will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Wallace High School Gym on No. 1 Miners' Alley in Wallace.

The second will be at the same time at the Shoshone Medical Center Health and Education Center at 858 Commerce Drive in Smelterville.

The EPA is also giving a private tour on Oct. 6 of potential cleanup sites and successful cleanup projects. The tour from 1 to 4:30 p.m. departs from Smelterville in provided buses.

"If you can see it and get a better sense, it makes it a little more real for people than reading a document," Dailey said.

There are several dozen seats available for the tour, Dailey said. Folks can register by contacting Debra Sherbina at (800) 424-4372, ext. 0247, or sherbina.debra@ epa.gov.

Since the EPA extended the public comment period to Nov. 23, she said, submitted comments have slowed.

"That's not untypical," she said. "Usually there are a lot initially, then it dies off, then there are a lot at the end of the comment period."

It's too early to notice a trend in comments, Dailey said. The EPA will review and respond to comments before issuing a final cleanup decision in a ROD Amendment in 2011.

The plan can be viewed at http://go.usa.gov/igD.