Storm impacts All the houses are back on their foundations and final work is being completed. However, due to the high winds experienced on December 14 and the resulting power outages, power will be connected to the houses based on the power company's availability.

Posted on 12/20/2006

Houses placed on foundations Four of the five relocated houses were placed back on their foundations. The foundation for the remaining house is still curing, but should be ready for house placement later this week.

Posted on 12/04/2006

Houses moved back to cleanup site The five houses relocated for the cleanup were returned to the cleanup site on Monday by D.B. Davis House Moving and Raising. The houses are staged on the site and remain raised on beams. Once new foundations are completed, the houses will be placed onto those foundations and prepared for occupancy.

Posted on 11/14/2006

River below flood stage The Skykomish river is currently below flood stage. House foundations are under construction in preparation for house relocation.

Posted on 11/10/2006

Temporary power disruption - West River Road Houses will be transported back to their original locations on Monday, November 13, and Wednesday, November 15. As a result, residents at the west end of West River Road may experience a temporary power disruption on November 13 and November 15 between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm. [Note: there will not be a temporary power disruption on November 15, as the large structures requiring the power disruption have already been moved.]

Posted on 11/10/2006

Flooding House foundation construction and house moving preparations are temporarily halted due to flooding and heavy rains. Activities will resume as soon as possible.

Posted on 11/08/2006

Continued progress As of October 30th, the following cleanup activities are completed: installation of shoring wall and liner, backfilling to grade, installation of underground stormwater conveyance system, demobilization of light plant and bird deterrents, and removal of in-river oil containment boom. The contractor continues transporting stockpiled materials off site, constructing house foundations, and performing restoration activities.

Posted on 10/30/2006

NRC demobilized All backfilling is complete above the water table. The oil recovery specialists, NRC Environmental, are no longer needed and were demobilized. Approximately 31,000 gallons of oil has been shipped off site and the last remaining boom was removed from the river.

Posted on 10/27/2006

House moving preparations House foundation plans are under final revision, and foundation construction is scheduled to begin the end of this week or early next week.

Posted on 10/26/2006

Shoring wall complete The shoring wall is complete and all backfilling will finish by Friday, 10/27.

Posted on 10/25/2006

Water teatment facility update The water treatment facility continues to operate at half capacity. Stockpile run-off water is currently trucked to the facility for treatment, but moving the treatment facility to the railyard is being considered.

Posted on 10/24/2006

Stockpile material Stockpile material continues to be transported off site with rail cars. As the weather changes, rail cars are lined to prevent spilling water that has been in contact with contaminated soil.

Posted on 10/17/2006

Work hours General work hours are Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm. Trains and trucks continue to load and export material Monday through Saturday.

Posted on 10/12/2006

Levee construction Completed riprap placement on the north side of the levee, except by the water treatment facility. The levee is now constructed to the final subgrade elevation. One foot of topsoil will be added to the top of the levee. Restoration planning is still in process.

Posted on 10/03/2006

Preventing recontamination NRC continues to actively control oil during backfilling activities to prevent contamination of clean fill. Oil sheens often tend to appear larger than they are, but when there is a significant product volume or stain, the contractor digs out the contaminated material. If minor oil stains remain under the backfill, the property would not be contaminated nor would it be considered to be a long-term problem. The shoring wall will prevent recontamination in much the same way as an oil-water separator. Oil floats on top of groundwater as the wall allows water to flow beneath. Water can still flow to the river, but oil is held back by a liner next to the wall.

Posted on 10/03/2006

Material removed About half of all excavated material has been removed by rail car or truck. Material will continue to be exported based on truck or rail car availability; cars and trucks are lined during wet weather. Granular lime is added to increase drying, and stockpiles are covered as necessary.

Posted on 10/03/2006

Excavation complete Uplands excavation is complete and backfilling in the house pad area was approved.

Posted on 10/02/2006

Shoring wall construction After completing excavation and backfilling at the east end of the site (upland house pad area), the contractor will begin construction of a shoring wall in the trench along the south edge of the excavation. This wall will separate clean fill from contaminated soil and prevent recontamination. This work will progress from east to west to allow construction of new house foundations in October.

Posted on 09/27/2006

Excavation deadlines met successfully The construction team met the scheduled deadline for completing all work in the Skykomish River. In addition, all excavation activities around the school were completed prior to the opening of the school building on September 18th. Temporary fencing, gates, and traffic revisions were in place prior to students returning to classes.

Posted on 09/19/2006

Completed removal of inner cofferdam The inner cofferdam has been removed and removal of the outer cofferdam is underway.

Posted on 09/14/2006

Turbidity issues Work is shut down when turbidity levels in the river are exceeded. Turbidity control measures were taken to reduce the potential for turbid water flowing under the cofferdam.

Posted on 08/28/2006

In-river excavation complete Excavation in the river is complete. Excavation in the western section was completed on Thursday, 8/24.

Posted on 08/28/2006

Oil management NRC continues with oil management and recovery.

Posted on 08/28/2006

Cofferdam removal The majority of the inner cofferdam was removed from the middle cell. The cofferdam bags were emptied and the clean material inside them is being used as backfill.

Posted on 08/23/2006

Oil seepage decreased and contained Oil seepage in the southeast corner of the eastern section significantly decreased and a liner was installed for containment until the next phase of work.

Posted on 08/23/2006

Additional lining and trenching Additional lining and trenching were completed to address turbidity caused by excavation inside the cofferdam.

Posted on 08/15/2006

Transporting materials to Rabanco's disposal facility Fewer rail cars containing contaminated materials left the site due to train derailment at Rabanco's disposal facility. The derailed cars were not related to the Skykomish cleanup. Appromixately 1,000 tons of contaminated material will leave the site daily starting this week.

Posted on 08/15/2006

Cleanup work hours Cleanup work is currently scheduled from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday. However, as cleanup work continues, it may be necessary to work from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm, which is allowable by Town of Skykomish ordinance. Work hours for oil management may take place 24 hours a day when needed.

Posted on 08/09/2006

Oil recovery and containment An oil spill contractor (NRC) was mobilized to the site to assist with oil recovery and will continue to assist with oil management. To keep birds out of the oil, several measures were implemented including oil control, Mylar bird deterrents, predator decoys, and lights. Turbidity and oil sheen outside the downstream end of the cofferdam during final installation were controlled with absorbent pads and booms. The cofferdam is completed and prevents oil from escaping the excavation area.

Posted on 08/08/2006

Cofferdam construction completed The cofferdam has been completed, allowing the construction team to continue the exavaction process in the Skykomish River. Approximately 500 fish were removed from within the cofferdam and released into the river.

Posted on 07/29/2006

Bike and skateboard helmets still available If you missed the bicycle and skateboard helmet-fitting on Monday, July 17, you can still get a helmet for your child! Stop by Town Hall to check out a sample helmet and call the Skykomish Cleanup Call Line at 1-800-228-1849 to learn how you can get a helmet.

Posted on 07/20/2006

Stay safe around construction Pedestrians should be aware of increased truck traffic through town and need to be cautious around construction zones. Please teach children to steer clear of equipment and keep their distance from work sites. To help work continue smoothly and safely, workers are trained to be alert and safety measures have been taken. Crosswalks and pedestrian crossing signs were installed near the access road and fencing was installed around construction areas.

Posted on 07/11/2006