Critics say it was a mistake to allow construction of a railroad refueling depot over the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, but the depot is a crucial link in the region’s transportation system.

Nevertheless, opponents of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co. facility have a right to say: “I told you so.” A significant spill of raw wastewater was detected at the site earlier this month, less than 120 days after the $42 million, state-of-the-art depot opened. Such a spill shouldn’t have happened so soon, if ever. The leak raises questions about the preliminary testing of the system, protection from contamination caused by idling trains, and system oversight.

Of most concern, the spill went undetected for months, it wasn’t disclosed to the public for another five days, and the extent of damage remains unknown because neither the railroad nor the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality released the complete preliminary report. We know only that a wastewater cocktail containing a hint of diesel fuel and motor oil reached the aquifer. And that state, county and railroad officials are convinced that the leak didn’t cause major damage to the region’s drinking water.

Unfortunately, the facility was built in the first place on the strength of railroad executives’ assurances that the spill brings into question. Candor is needed now. To their credit, railroad officials reported the leak, dug two new wells to monitor downstream contamination, and excavated degraded dirt. But state environmental officials allowed rumors to spread by failing to reveal all they know while they wait for final soil tests.

The public has a right to know the answer to several questions immediately: How badly was the aquifer polluted by the leak? What is the railroad going to do if the tests find serious groundwater contamination? What steps is the railroad taking to address the contamination problem caused by parked trains leaking contaminants in areas that aren’t protected by underground linings?

Spoken on behalf of the Kootenai Environmental Alliance, the words of Ken Lustig, respected former Panhandle Health District environmental enforcer, ring in our ears: “This was an avoidable risk. The community decision-makers embraced this decision knowing that there is a legacy of contamination from fueling depots across the country. Their decision is borderline unforgivable and embarrassing. This incident demonstrates that it is the cumulative effect of an activity away from the containment system that is the main concern. The refueling depot at Hauser is like a parking lot for leaking trains.”

Lustig is no crackpot. For decades, he protected the region’s ground and surface water by insisting that the landfill at Fighting Creek meet strict environmental regulations and that as many septic tanks as possible be removed from the Rathdrum Prairie. Now, he rightly takes his place among those who can say: “I told you so.” It’s startling that a serious mishap could happen at the facility this soon. It’s inexcusable that state and railroad officials aren’t forthcoming about the nature of the contamination.