Burlington Northernwants more study of avalanche control

The Daily Inter Lake

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway is officially asking Glacier National Park officials for "additional study" of a proposal to use explosives, including artillery, to curb avalanche dangers on the park's southern boundary.

The railroad initially proposed that the park pursue an environmental review for avalanche mitigation to protect rail operations in the Middle Fork Flathead River corridor. The railroad provided information and helped pay for a Draft Environmental Impact Statement that recently was released by the park.

The draft, however, came with a "preferred alternative" that rejected the use of explosives for avalanche control and instead called on the railroad to build more snowsheds to protect the tracks. A public comment period on the document is under way until the end of December, with open houses scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday in Kalispell and West Glacier.

Railroad officials met Wednesday with Glacier Superintendent Mick Holm, submitting a letter that says "several key areas of the DEIS require additional work."

According to the letter, the draft itself concedes that the park lacks "baseline data" to measure environmental impairment from "the implementation of an explosives program for avalanche hazard reduction of this magnitude."

The draft also does not include wildlife or habitat studies that would provide information about what species may frequent the areas where the use of explosives is proposed, says the letter, signed by Larry Woodley, maintenance engineer for the railroad's Montana Division.

Woodley also notes that the draft does not adequately examine the use of explosives in other national parks or national forests.

"Additional time and studies would enable the inclusion … of a full exploration of appropriate baseline data and potential environmental impacts from avalanche mitigation techniques already used across the country," according to the letter. "To that end, BNSF supports a renewed effort by the agencies to carefully examine how an avalanche risk reduction plan could be implemented in Glacier National Park."

Contacted at his office Thursday, Holm said he "made no commitments" in meeting with railroad officials, other than that the letter would be included in the administrative record along with more than 60 comments that have been submitted.

"We told them we would take it under consideration, just like the other comments," Holm said.

The National Parks Conservation Association, among others, has objected to the use of explosives for avalanche control, arguing that snowsheds would provide better long-term protection for rail operations. BNSF officials have said that constructing roughly a mile of additional sheds in the corridor would be too expensive and would not effectively reduce the threat of avalanches hitting U.S. 2, which parallels the rail tracks.

Last year, the railroad spent $1.2 million in maintaining just one shed in the Essex area, said railroad spokesman Gus Melonas. He said the railroad plans to spend $5 million more in maintaining other sheds in the corridor during the next few years.

To solicit more public comment on the issue, park officials will host next week's gatherings, which will involve a first-hour open house followed by a second-hour comment period. The Tuesday open house will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Red Lion Hotel Kalispell, and the Wednesday open house is from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the West Glacier Community Building.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com.