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City approves temporary access agreement with Ponderay for Black Rock cleanup work
Summary
Sandpoint leaders approved a memorandum of agreement allowing Ponderay contractors to use a trailhead access route for EPA-funded cleanup work at the Black Rock (Panhandle Smelting) site; Ponderay will manage closures, limit hauling to plant operating hours, and be responsible for any damage to city property.
Council approved an agreement April 1 permitting the city of Ponderay to access Sandpoint property temporarily to support the Black Rock (Panhandle Smelting) remediation project.
Kaylee Miller, Ponderay planning director, told council the remediation will start April 7 and is funded by an EPA multi-purpose grant with additional DEQ and ARPA support. The cleanup plan calls for encapsulating contaminated slag in a lined repository covered by roughly 12 feet of clean soil and installing a concrete cap dyed and textured to preserve the site’s historic look. Miller said the plan includes a walkway to protect the pile from wave action and ties to the bay-trail network.
Under the MOA approved by council, Ponderay will schedule and publicize trail closures, limit heavy-haul access to align with Sandpoint’s water-treatment plant operating hours for safety, and repair any damage to the trail or city property caused by construction activity. Council and staff emphasized public notification and clearly marked closures. "We will provide signage and physical barriers during closures to prevent unsafe public access," Holly Ellis, the city’s public works director, said.
The remediation will keep the slag pile in place rather than removing it, using containment and capping to reduce erosion and exposure. Ponderay plans additional public engagement and an MOA-based public-access plan; council approved the access agreement by roll call.
