Osburn Flats Area Next For River Cleanup

The Osburn flats area of the Silver Valley is the next stretch of the polluted Coeur d’Alene River basin to get a scrubbing from the Silver Valley Natural Resource Trustees.

The trustees have $2.2 million for work along the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River from Wallace to Big Creek, according to Marti Calabretta, trustee activities coordinator.

Removal of mine tailings from the area and stream stabilization is expected to begin next year.

A file of information about the project is available at the Wallace and Osburn public libraries.

The trustees have scheduled a meeting for 10 a.m. today at Silver Hills Junior High School in Osburn to discuss that project and the ongoing $3 million cleanup project along Canyon Creek.

A tour of the proposed Osburn cleanup sites is planned for the meeting. The public is invited.

The trustees oversee an almost $6 million fund initially established in 1986 when Idaho accepted a settlement from mining companies over pollution in the Coeur d’Alene Basin. A parallel federal lawsuit remains unresolved. , DataTimes