BN finds second leak at depot

COEUR d'ALENE — The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad said late Tuesday that a second spill has been found at the Hauser refueling depot, which has prompted the railroad to shut down one-third of the facility.

BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said the railroad, while inspecting the facility Tuesday afternoon, found water with "a slight sheen of petroleum" in the leak detection system within the containment area.

The contaminant was contained within the facility and did not spill onto the Rathdrum Prairie, he said.

"The area was immediately taken out of service," said Melonas, and an investigation has been initiated.

"There is no evidence that the environment has been impacted," he said in a prepared statement that was issued to the media about 9:30 p.m.

Melonas said the railroad contacted the Idaho Bureau of Environmental Quality Tuesday afternoon and briefed the Kootenai County commissioners on the situation.

"The railroad continues to evaluate other measures while continuing to work with IDEQ," he said.

An initial spill was discovered at the controversial facility on Dec. 10, 2004. An unprotected 8-inch wastewater pipe that linked two containment areas was discovered broken.

While the spill was not considered a threat to human health, a trace amount of diesel was found in the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer about 150 feet below the refueling station. The aquifer is the main source of drinking water for more than 500,000 people in Kootenai and Spokane counties.

The facility, which opened last September, was the object of widespread opposition primarily over concerns for the safety of the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.

The Kootenai County commissioners approved construction of the depot after BNSF presented them with a long list of safety assurances.

Railroad officials appeared at the Legislature last month to extend a formal public apology for the December spill over the aquifer.

BNSF officials announced that a consent decree had been prepared by IDEQ calling for remediation measures, repair standards for the leaky pipe system and a fine.