EPA okays East Mission Flats Repository

Wow. That was quick. The East Mission Flats Repository across from Cataldo Mission is ready to go said Mathy Stanislaus , Obama’s senior political appointee for Superfund issues who visited the site last month.

According to an EPA communication , “Contaminated soils will be disposed of at the EMF Repository until the end of the construction season this year, which is anticipated to be November but depends on dry weather. When fully constructed, the East Mission Flats Repository is expected to safely contain 445,000 cubic yards of waste soils from Basin property cleanups.” Perhaps as a response to controversy surrounding the site, the EPA will restore a Community Liaison position and build an enhanced flood monitoring system. We hope the system works: An “early warning system” to alert officials if metals are migrating into the groundwater when it floods. And trust us, flood it will.

Here’s a photo DTE took when checking the site out in early June 2008:














Dumping by the truckload began yesterday. Covering this issue for two years, today’s post is too short to fill the void many in Silver Valley are feeling because of the decision. It certainly isn’t the last we’ve heard about the East Mission Flats Repository though.