99-27119. Wastewater Treatment Project (West Side) Environmental Impact Statement, Glacier National Park, Montana
[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 200 (Monday, October 18, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 56215]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-27119]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
Wastewater Treatment Project (West Side) Environmental Impact
Statement, Glacier National Park, Montana
AGENCY: National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement
for the Wastewater Treatment Project (West Side), Glacier National
Park.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Under the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act,
the National Park Service is preparing an environmental impact
statement for the Lake McDonald/Park Headquarters Wastewater Treatment
System Rehabilitation for Glacier National Park. This statement will be
approved by the Intermountain Regional Director.
The existing system collects throughout the Lake McDonald/
Headquarters area via a series of gravity sewer lines and sewage lift
stations and force mains. The existing wastewater treatment facility is
comprised of a single cell aerated lagoon, irrigation pond, control
building and spray irrigation system. At the wastewater treatment
facility, raw wastewater flows to a 4.8 million gallon aerated lagoon
where bacteria reduce the biological oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended
solids concentration of the wastewater. The treated wastewater flows to
an adjacent .5 million gallon irrigation pond where an irrigation pump
takes flow from the pond to a 55 acre spray irrigation field, currently
located in the 100 year floodplain of McDonald Creek. This project and
EIS has been proposed to analyze alternatives for addressing these
issues.
The effort will result in a proposed course of action for park
managers to address the issues above. A range of alternatives are being
considered to improve the existing wastewater treatment facility
incorporating different disposal and treatment approaches. A variety of
factors will be considered including an evaluation of site constraints,
State of Montana Department of Environmental Quality current standards,
available treatment technology, operation and maintenance concerns,
wildlife, water quality and vegetation concerns and sustainable design.
Several alternatives will look at upgrading and rehabilitating the
existing treatment process while continuing to utilize the existing
spray irrigation system as the method of disposal. Others will consider
removing the existing system from the floodplain. The use of advanced
nitrogen removal treatment by utilizing sequencing batch reactors (SBR)
prior to discharge to the groundwater through rapid infiltration basins
will be considered. Due to the uncertainty of the suitability of the
soils for rapid infiltration basins, another alternative will also be
considered which is based on discharge of the effluent to the Middle
Fork of the Flathead River and would involve construction of a tertiary
treatment plant. A no action alternative will also be considered as
required.
Major issues include that due to the location of the spray
irrigation field, wastewater cannot be discharged during the winter and
spring when the ground surface is frozen, saturated or underwater from
stream flooding. As a result, the wastewater treatment facility
operates as a holding facility during the winter and spring until
ground conditions at the spray field allow disposal without runoff to
McDonald Creek. In addition, the system needs to be rehabilitated
enabling it to operate as it was originally designed to operate.
An open house has been scheduled for October 26 to be held at the
Community Building in West Glacier from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Superintendent, Glacier National Park,
406/888-7901.
Dated: October 8, 1999.
Michelle D. Synder,
Acting Regional Director, Intermountain Region.
[FR Doc. 99-27119 Filed 10-15-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-70-P
Document Information
- Published:
- 10/18/1999
- Department:
- National Park Service
- Entry Type:
- Notice
- Action:
- Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Wastewater Treatment Project (West Side), Glacier National Park.
- Document Number:
- 99-27119
- Pages:
- 56215-56215 (1 pages)
- PDF File:
-
99-27119.pdf