It is incumbent on the agencies, such as DFWP, to express 

 concern that the degree of cleanup be defined first, then 

 the mechanism to achieve that degree of cleanup be 

 determined. Removal or temporary capping should not be 

 eliminated simply because of the mass of tailings that 

 confront us in the upper basin. Permanent methods and 

 treatments that significantly reduce the toxicity, 

 mobility, and volume of wastes should be considered. 



Recognizing that you did not want to get into this 

 Super fund morass, which no one understands (not even the 

 people that manage the morass) , we have to face it and 

 recognize that removal and either off-site or on-site 

 treatment will have to be considered as well as 

 reclamation. Superfund needs to follow section 121 

 cleanup standards. 



Response: The EPA and DHES are following Superfund 

 procedures . 



Phil Hertzog, DHES-Solid and Hazardous Waste Bureau 



• The MBMG has recently put in some automatic samplers in 

 the upper river that may help define short-duration, high- 

 intensity events. So far there have not been any 

 significant runoff events this year to trigger them. 



Response: A discussion of this recent monitoring 

 effort: was added to the text on pages 3-63 and 3-64. 



• The report probably needs to emphasize more that 

 improving water quality in the Clark Fork Basin improves 

 water for irrigated agriculture. No one has really 

 assessed the impacts of the current quality of water on 

 productivity in irrigated fields or damages from past 

 water quality. It is important not to leave the farmer 

 out. 



Response: Irrigation-affected lands are discussed on 

 pages 3-40 to 3-42. 



Representative of Irrigation District 



• The people here seem to want all the water to go down the 

 river and out of the state. There is no better way to get 

 water in the ground than through irrigation. I agree with 

 the Governor-people before fish. Fish can always be 

 replanted, that is why there are hatcheries. 



A-16 



