Answering Citizens’ Questions about the Coeur d’Alene River Basin Cleanup

Happy Thanksgiving! We wanted to give a few highlights of our appreciation! This has been an outstanding year in large part because the public participated in a big way! I estimate that outreach coordinators from DEQ, EPA, and the Basin Commission directly interacted with at least 5,000 community members this year. Based on the responses I have received, people seem to appreciate the information and our efforts to provide education and outreach. Outreach coordinators kicked off the year by responding to presentation requests from chambers of commerce, Realtor groups, student groups, and recreation and civic clubs. Community members engaged with us at community events like the Shoshone Medical Center’s Children’s Health Fair and the North Idaho Fair. Thank you for inviting us to talk about Basin cleanup, its progress, current health risks, and opportunities for project involvement. More people are getting direct updates from our new Facebook pages (CDAbasin and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality) which have been a very popular. Many of you have already met the new EPA Community Liaison, Rene Gilbert, and discovered what a great resource she is. Community members participated in open houses to talk about projects like the Lower Burke Canyon Repository and the West Page Wetlands creation. About 1,000 people commented on EPA’s cleanup plan, which was recently finalized with those comments in mind. Thank you for your involvement! Your participation helps build better projects. Thank you, Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s users, for using caution on the trail and being curious about the construction of wetlands near Smelterville. Thank you, Superfund Job Training Initiative contractors, who provided certification courses preparing 17 graduates for the workforce. Thank you to those who participated in EPA’s third-party community needs assessment. DEQ sincerely appreciates the community’s participation in the Basin Property Remediation Program. This year, DEQ’s contractors replaced soils at about 180 properties, most of which were residential. Homeowners asked great questions about the process, drivers remained cautious near construction areas, and the local jurisdictions coordinated in so many helpful ways. We thank our local contractors who continue to show dedication to customer service, provide a quality product, and be involved in the community. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!