Bnsf Plan Opposed By Petition Proposed Refueling Depot Over Major Aquifer Faces 21 Comments Filed With Kootenai County

Nearly 100 people have signed a petition opposing Burlington Northern and Santa Fe’s bid to build a locomotive refueling depot over the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.

And opponents say that’s just the first installment.

The 94-signature petition is one of 21 comments filed with Kootenai County since the railroad applied July 16 for the permit it needs to build the depot. No comments have been submitted yet in favor of the depot.

The Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors also voted this week to oppose the refueling facility, as it did last year.

Last year, depot opponents drummed up 1,100 petition signatures after the railroad approached county officials with the depot bid. BNSF withdrew its application before it could be heard by the county commissioners.

The railroad returned this year with a much smaller depot and greater environmental protections to appease public concerns, after hiring a public relations firm.

Opponents - who expect more petition signatures this year than last - say many residents aren’t persuaded.

“Last year, we had a limited time, and we had 1,100 signatures,” said Shirley Caddell, a Coeur d’Alene real estate broker heading the petition drive for the Friends of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer. “It’s kind of the voice of the community, and I think we’ll have hundreds more this year.”

The petition calls on county commissioners to turn down the depot because the “potential risk of contamination to the aquifer … is too great, regardless of any protective measures which could be implemented.”

More opposition letters and petitions are expected in the coming weeks, said Richard Shutts, with the Friends group. There are still at least 10 pages of petitions circulating through North Idaho and Spokane communities, according to Shutts. The group hopes for 3,000-5,000 signatures, he said.

The board of the roughly 425-member Coeur d’Alene Association of Realtors this week voted to send an opposition letter to the county, after viewing a presentation from the opposition group. The railroad had made its presentation earlier in the year. Burlington Northern and Santa Fe officials expressed disappointment at the board’s decision.

“We would have hoped they would have seen the local employment and economic benefits,” said BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas.

No hearing date has been set for the railroad’s conditional-use permit. Earlier reports from a railroad official that officials told BNSF the case could be heard as early as mid-September are incorrect, said Cheri Howell, Kootenai County planning director.

The permit application remains incomplete, lacking several letters from public agencies. Planning officials won’t review the application until it’s complete, Howell said.

“There’s been absolutely no date set.”