COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A containment system to capture any oil leaking from sunken construction equipment at Higgens Point is expected to be completed by this summer.
Associated Underwater Services of Spokane is drawing up plans for a stainless steel hood that will encase a D-9 dozer, which is buried in rock under about 90 feet of water.
“We are committed to protecting the lake, which likely includes several more years of monitoring and maintaining the hood,” Emergency Response Coordinator Chris Williams said.
The 40-by-40-foot hood will be built on the shore of the lake and could be in place as early as June.
“That’s a lot of stainless steel, and getting our hands on that material will be a challenge," Williams said.
Other options, like removal of the equipment, were considered with agencies like the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality "but dismissed due to the risk of affecting the rockslide area and the potential harm to staff and the environment," a press release said.
To read more of this article, please visit our news content partner the Coeur d'Alene Press.
