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Soda Springs hears Kerr‑McGee site update; injections ongoing, infrastructure needed before full operations
Summary
City officials and federal and state regulators received a remediation update for the Kerr‑McGee site: in situ EVO injections targeting molybdenum and vanadium are underway, a 90% remedial design is due imminently, and infrastructure work is required before construction planned for 2027.
Soda Springs city officials on June 3 received an update on cleanup work at the Kerr‑McGee site, where Multistate Trust and federal and state regulators said in situ injections to reduce molybdenum and vanadium are continuing this year while design and infrastructure work moves forward.
At a special meeting, Lars Peterson of Multistate Trust introduced project staff and regulators and outlined the program priorities. Terry Biere, the project manager, reported that in situ enhanced volatilization/oxidation (EVO) injections have produced “large contaminant reductions across AOC1 and AOC3,” and that a spring injection was underway with a second injection planned for Sept.–Oct. 2026. Biere said the team will submit a 90% remedial design in the coming weeks and target a 100% design by August–September 2026 to enable procurement in Q4 and construction in 2027.
Zoe Lopowski, the U.S. EPA remedial project manager on the site, and Nick Nielsen, an IDEQ project coordinator based in Pocatello, described interagency coordination on remedial-design reviews; the presenters said 60% design materials have been submitted and the 90% package is pending. They also said the Idaho Department of Water Resources will be involved in mapping and an area‑of‑drilling‑concern public hearing.
Presenters described technical limits to ex situ treatment. Biere and Peterson reported that an ex situ skid unit experienced vanadium and molybdenum breakthrough, and that ferric chloride pretreatment did not prevent media breakthrough; they said those issues raise ex situ costs and limit scalability. As a result, the team does not plan to run the skid unit in 2026. The presenters also identified infrastructure needs—installation of power, road improvements, trenched piping and stormwater controls—before permanent operations can begin, and they noted winter field limitations and groundwater variability as operational constraints.
Council President Mitch Hart expressed the city’s interest in redevelopment opportunities near the site and the council’s schedule for reviewing related matters. City Clerk Andrea Haderlie recorded the meeting’s roll call; the document shows the meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m. and later notes the minutes were approved by the mayor and council on June 17, 2026.
Multistate Trust invited early engagement with prospective property purchasers and local economic‑development officials. The trust agreed to provide follow‑ups requested by city representatives and attendees, including a cartoon map showing redevelopment‑eligible versus restricted areas and a list of preferred or discouraged industries for future redevelopment. The presenters said routine groundwater monitoring and periodic performance evaluations will continue through field seasons.
No formal motions or votes were recorded during the June 3 briefing. The next concrete project steps identified were the imminent 90% remedial design submittal, fall 2026 injection planning, procurement initiation targeted for Q4 2026, and a hoped start of construction in 2027, all subject to regulatory approvals and successful procurement.
