Crews are wrapping up all construction and restoration work for this year. Thanks again to everyone’s patience, cooperation and help during another successful year of cleanup. Over 55,000 gallons of free product (oil) and 115,121 tons of contaminated soil were removed this year.

BNSF and Ecology will host the annual fall public meeting on November 17 at Maloney's General Store (104 Railroad Avenue) to review cleanup plans for 2011. Stay tuned for more information.

Crews completed paving the temporary asphalt-treated base surfaces in town and installed topsoil and hydroseeded in some areas. Crews are installing street lights on 5th Street and Railroad Avenue and building restoration continues. West River Road will re-open this week and East River Road will re-open soon, but will remain gravel.

Crews completed a small metals excavation on the railyard this week. Restoration of the Former Maloney Creek West Wetland is also completed after additional plants were planted in the area.

5th Street, 6th Street and West River Road were paved with temporary asphalt-treated base. Temporary sidewalks were also installed with painted edges.

Crews installed asphalt-treated base (ATB) on Railroad Avenue and 6th Street and continued grading in the NWDZ. Crews will pave 5th Street and build temporary sidewalks (ATB) on Friday, October 8 and relocate light bases on 5th Street next week.

Private property restoration continued in the Northwest Developed Zone (NWDZ) this week. Crews installed tennis court fence poles, began final grading for the tennis court, restored power and water service to buildings, and continued interior restoration. Crews plan to pour the tennis court next Tuesday (October 12) and begin installing topsoil midweek.

Crews will plant additional plants in the Former Maloney Creek (FMC) West Wetland next week. Additionally, crews will install blocks or bollards at 5th Street and Old Cascade Highway along the corner of FMC Upland area for traffic safety.

Crews are planning to install temporary asphalt-treated base (ATB) streets and sidewalks next week (October 4). All streets and sidewalks will be ATB over the winter except East River Drive, which will remain gravel as it will be used later during in-river excavation. Permanent streetlights will be installed on Railroad Avenue, 4th Street, 5th Street and 6th Street. This should occur within the next few weeks.

A sewer line is planned to be installed at the bridge as a connection across the river this week. 5th Street into town will be reduced to one-way traffic during this work. Please pay attention to the direction of flaggers.

There have been some questions lately about the status of cleanup at the school. BNSF and the Skykomish School are still negotiating access for cleanup at the school next year. Excavation work this year indicated that contamination under the school is more extensive than previously thought. BNSF, Ecology and the school are currently discussing the findings and what the data means for the scope and timing of cleanup under and around the school. More information will be shared with the community as soon as it is known!

Crews completed installing the Former Maloney Creek (FMC) East Wetland storm pipe and began final grading. Topsoil will be installed soon on private properties (except BNSF property). Final work at the retention pond should be complete by the end of this week.

Complete work at the FMC West Wetland this week. Tomorrow, crews will install matting (made of natural fiber and netting) and mulch to control erosion. Planting the wetland will occur this Friday and possibly on Saturday. Bird and bat “houses” will also be installed. The new wetland will be a sensitive area for some time. Please do not walk in the wetland.

Temporary asphalt-treated base (ATB) streets and sidewalks will be installed this fall all over town. Permanent streetlights will be installed along Railroad Avenue and on 4th Street. East River Drive will remain gravel over the winter, as it will be used later during in-river excavation. West River Drive will be re-opened after JUT and other utility work is complete in the area this fall.

As many people have heard by now, in-river excavation will not occur this year. The formal federal consultation is still ongoing, meaning crews would be unable to complete the work before the fish window closes on September 15. This in-river work by the bridge will be scheduled once the permit is obtained, likely next year. Fortunately, the bridge abutment excavation was completed this year, so traffic on the bridge is not expected to be affected during any future in-river work.

BNSF and Ecology staff will be available to answer questions at upcoming meetings in town: the Skykomish Environmental Coalition (SEC) meeting on September 8 at the Skykomish School cafeteria (6:00 pm) and the Town Council meeting on September 13 at Town Hall (6:30 pm).

As usual, a public meeting will be held this fall to review overall 2011 cleanup plans. Feel free to contact us by phone or email for more information (800-228-1849, info@skykomishcleanup.com).

The Cascadia Inn is now open for overnight guests. The restaurant is expected to re-open in early October.

Rail car load out will start again next Monday (August 30). Load out of contaminated materials is expected to continue through the end of September.

The hotel portion of the Cascadia will be returned to the property owner this week. Construction at the Cascadia restaurant continues.

Crews anticipate completing excavation in the FMC East Wetland by the end of the week and will begin installing the stormwater pipe next week. Crews continue backfilling at the FMC West Wetland and will then begin wetland restoration. Work will be complete in the West Wetland by mid-September, the end of the fish window.

The final permit for excavation in the Skykomish River under the bridge is still being reviewed by the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. Strider completed excavation of the bridge abutment earlier this summer. Due to fish window and seasonal weather constraints, Strider needs to begin work in the river no later than September 1. If the agencies do not grant the permit prior to then, in-river work will be scheduled for next year during the fish window. BNSF, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Town of Skykomish are working closely with the permitting agency to obtain the permit as soon as possible. If you would like more information about this, please call the construction call line at 800-228-1849. Stay tuned for more information next week.

Test pits were completed near the west side of the school to provide additional information about contamination at the school property. Additional test pits will be dug near the sport court this week or early next week.

Crews continued excavating at the Former Maloney Creek (FMC) East Wetland, chasing some contamination to the north and east. Excavation of the furthest east hot spot began yesterday. The west end of the FMC East Wetland has been backfilled (not to final grade) and is being used to stockpile clean material. Crews continued excavating in the FMC West Wetland. All work in the FMC West Wetland will be completed within the fish window, which ends in mid-September.

Crews will be sampling for 1-2 days next week (week of 8/16) in the west side yard of the school and around the basketball court to further investigate contamination. Archaeologists will also be onsite to document any findings.

There is a lot of extra truck traffic on Old Cascade Highway due to the East and West Wetland work. Please be extra cautious, especially at the intersections of 5th Street and Old Cascade Highway and Thelma Street and Old Cascade Highway. Please drive slow and pay attention to flaggers and posted street signs.

Crews began spot excavation at the Former Maloney Creek East Wetland at the end of last week. Samples at the west end of the wetland came back clean and crews began backfilling the area. Further east on the property, crews are chasing contamination in the area to the north and west towards the construction trailers on railroad property.

Crews finished clearing and grubbing the Former Maloney Creek West Wetland on Monday and installed a large cofferdam. Crews began excavation Tuesday and will continue excavating for the next several weeks. Crews are dewatering 24 hours/day, which will continue throughout the duration of the work.

Final permits for in-river work near the 5th Street Bridge are currently under review by the National Marine Fisheries Service and Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. In-water bridge work has been delayed until these permits are secured.

Crews finished clearing and grubbing the Former Maloney Creek (FMC) East Wetland and will begin excavation today. Excavation is anticipated to continue for several weeks. Work began at the FMC West Wetland this week with the installation of three small cofferdams. Crews will continue prepping, clearing and grubbing the area through the end of this week and into next.

Crews continue working on the Cascadia restoration, including framing walls and bringing electrical lines back to the building. Foundation work on Maloney's General Store and the Ward building also continues - framing walls are scheduled to be poured next week.

Crews completed a small excavation in the area south of the school building this week. Crews excavated more than originally anticipated and Railroad Avenue between West River Drive and 6th Street was closed an additional day.

Final permits for the East and West Wetland work were issued last week. Crews began prepping, clearing and grubbing the East Wetland earlier this week and excavation and backfilling will begin in the area next week. Work at the West Wetland will begin next week, including site prep, clearing and grubbing.

Water bypass work is scheduled for this Friday, July 30. A temporary water outage from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. will affect residents and businesses west of 5th Street. Affected residents will receive more details about this outage.

Railroad Avenue will be closed between West River Drive and 6th Street on Monday and Tuesday of next week (August 2-3). Crews will excavate and backfill the area south of the school building. Traffic will access West River Drive via 6th Street.

Removal of the temporary traffic control on U.S. Highway 2 that was designed for the bridge closure in June 2010 is scheduled for early this week. Roadway striping and other features will be restored to their pre-existing condition as required by the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Foundation work continues in the Northwest Developed Zone. Crews anticipate lowering the Community Center and Town Maintenance building onto new foundations this week.

Retention pond installation related to the Former Maloney Creek East Wetland begins early this week.

Preparation work to raise the Mackner house and cottage will begin early next week. Nickels Brothers will be on site to raise the structures towards the end of the week and foundation work will follow. The work is expected to take three weeks.

Crews will continue building foundations on the relocated buildings in the Northwest Developed Zone (NWDZ). Crews are scheduled to set the Community Center and the Town Maintenance building on their foundations the week of July 26th.

On Monday, July 19, the portion of W Railroad Avenue between West River Drive and 6th Street will be closed for crews to dig test pits at the southeast corner of the school. To access the west levee neighborhood, turn right on Railroad Avenue, north on 6th Street, and then left on West River Drive. This work is expected to be completed by the end of the day on Monday.

Crews will be excavating the SE corner of the school building property to remove contaminated soils. This work is scheduled to start on Monday, July 12.

40,000 gallons of oil have been recovered in Skykomish this year. The most recent came from a small excavation of the Thompson/Baggenstos backyard. Samples from this area came back clean and the area was backfilled.

In-river work near the bridge, Former Maloney Creek (FMC) East Wetland excavation, and FMC West Wetland excavation will occur during the fish window. The fish window has not yet opened due to fish counts and high water flows. Final permits for in-river work are currently under review by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Washington State Department Fish and Wildlife. Vegetation clearing in the FMC East may occur early, depending on approval.

On Friday, June 2, crews moved the Maloney's General Store building back to its original location at the corner of Railroad Avenue and 5th Street.

Excavation and backfilling at the 5th Street Bridge was completed last week. The bridge was reopened to vehicles and pedestrians Saturday evening, June 26, two days ahead of schedule. In-river work near the bridge, Former Maloney Creek (FMC) East Wetland excavation, and FMC West Wetland excavation will occur during the fish window. Typically, the fish window begins this week, but due to high water flows may be pushed back several weeks. Final permits for in-river work are currently under review by the National Marine Fisheries Service and Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Because FMC East typically dries out early, vegetation clearing may begin as early as July 12.

The amendment to the Consent Decree to restore the FMC East as upland was adopted and finalized. Copies of the amendment and the response to public comment are available at the information repository at the Skykomish Library and at Town Hall.

Crews completed a shallow metals excavation next to the Skykomish Library. An unknown water pipe was inadvertently hit, causing a short water outage west of the library. This pipe was repaired. Shallow metals excavations will also occur on the railyard next week.

Crews completed one of the shallow metals excavations at the east end of the hydraulic control and containment (HCC) system. After the groundwater level drops, crews will grout the east end of the HCC system. This is expected to happen in late July or early August.

Crews will begin shallow metal excavation digs on the west side of the railyard next week. These digs are approximately two feet deep and are anticipated to be backfilled and completed within 1-2 weeks.

The Community Center, Town Maintenance building, and Ward building were moved back to their respective properties on Railroad Avenue last week. Foundation work on these buildings has started and will continue over the next several weeks.

Crews are scheduled to move the Wheatley house and Maloney's General Store back to their original locations next week (week of June 28). Foundation work will follow.

The 5th Street Bridge will be closed to both traffic and pedestrians beginning Monday, June 21. The bridge is scheduled to reopen on Monday, June 28. Traffic will access Skykomish from U.S. Highway 2 via East Old Cascade Highway. A new temporary turn pocket on Highway 2 was added to make access easier during the bridge closure.

Crews will work 24 hours a day, if needed, to complete the required excavation around the bridge abutment. Residents near work zones will notice construction noise, lights, and trucks.

During the bridge closure, the Town van will make a run from Town Hall to the gas station and Skykomish Deli at 9:00 a.m. on Monday and Friday mornings, in addition to the regular Wednesday run to Monroe. Contact Town Hall at 360-677-2388.

Crews completed excavation at the Cascadia early this week. Samples came back clean from the area so no further excavation is needed. Backfilling will continue this week and restoration will begin next week.

Northwest Developed Zone (NWDZ) excavation and backfilling was completed and the contamination south on Railroad Avenue was retrieved. Railroad Avenue is now open to two-way traffic in this area and 6th Street has re-opened.

Site preparation and overburden excavation for the 5th Street Bridge work will start the week of June 14. Access to East River Road and West River Road from 5th Street N will be temporarily closed starting on June 14 for the duration of the bridge work. The bridge is currently scheduled to be closed for 7 days to traffic and pedestrians beginning June 21. Crews will be working long hours and on weekends to accomplish this work. More information will arrive in mailboxes and around town shortly.

Crews will install a water bypass in preparation for the 5th Street Bridge work on June 10. A temporary water outage will affect residents and businesses north of the Skykomish River and on 4th Street between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Demolition of the Cascadia Restaurant has been completed. Crews are scheduled to install shoring and begin excavation at the end of this week (June 10 or 11). Railroad Avenue in front of the Cascadia will be reduced to one lane for the duration of work at the Cascadia.

Crews have rescheduled driving sheet pile at the east end of the HCC to begin Monday, June 7 and expect the work to take 2 days to complete. After this work is completed, Railroad Avenue will be reopened to two-way traffic in this area.

Excavation and backfilling will continue in the NWDZ. Railroad Avenue by the NWDZ will be temporarily closed through the end of this week. Traffic will continue to access the school and west neighborhoods using West River Drive, which will remain a two-way street. Sixth Street will also remain closed during this work. Please pay attention to flaggers and posted street signs.

Preparations for work at the 5th Street Bridge will begin next week. Crews will begin restriping and installing additional signage on Highway 2 to prepare for the closure. The bridge is scheduled to close for 7 days beginning June 21. Crews will work long days and on weekends to accomplish the necessary work within the 7-day window. The cleanup team is working with WSDOT and will notify residents and the Town before the closure begins.

Crews are currently preparing the restaurant portion of the Cascadia for demolition, including disconnecting utilities and plumbing. Demolition is scheduled for later this week or early next. Excavation at the site is scheduled to begin the end of next week (week of 6/7).

PSE and Verizon are working to restore power and phone service to properties west of 5th Street and north of the rail yard. A utility pole was struck by a vehicle unrelated to the cleanup project. Electricity is expected to be restored today; phone service will be restored today or possibly tomorrow. Affected residents can call the cleanup call line (800-228-1849) or PSE and Verizon directly for more information.

The 5th Street Bridge is expected to close for 7 days beginning June 21. Crews will work long days and on weekends to accomplish the necessary work within the 7-day window. Updates will be provided as the date nears. Starting the week of June 7, crews will begin restriping and installing additional signage on Highway 2 to prepare for the closure.

The underground water bypass on Railroad Avenue and 6th Street needs to be modified to accommodate the additional excavation south of the NWDZ. This work is scheduled for Tuesday, June 1. Residents will be notified if they will be affected by any water outages.

Excavation and backfilling at the east end of the HCC system on Railroad Avenue is expected to be completed this week. Crews are scheduled to start driving sheet pile on Tuesday, June 1 and expect the work to take 2-4 days to complete. After this work is complete, Railroad Avenue will be reopened to two-way traffic in this area.

Excavation and backfilling will continue in the NWDZ. This includes digging into Railroad Avenue to recover contamination extending further south. Railroad Avenue by the NWDZ will be temporarily closed for approximately 3-5 days starting on Tuesday, June 1. Traffic will access the school and west neighborhoods using West River Drive, which will remain a two-way street. Sixth Street will also remain closed during this work. Please pay attention to flaggers and posted street signs.

Excavation at the south end of the hydraulic control and containment (HCC) system is scheduled to begin next week (May 24). This Friday, May 21, crews will set up fencing around the excavation area, which extends from just east of 3rd Street to the current location of the Wheatley House. East Railroad Avenue will be reduced to one lane during this work. After crews pre-excavate the area to remove large boulders, sheet piles will be installed (approximately 60 feet). Sheet pile installation is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 1, and is expected to take less than a week.

Preparations for work at the 5th Street Bridge is expected to begin in mid-June. The temporary 7-day full closure of the bridge is tentatively scheduled to begin on June 21. The cleanup team is working with WSDOT and will notify residents and the Town before the closure begins.

To allow the removal of utility poles at the 5th Street Bridge, crews will relocate communications lines underground in Town right-of-way, at the back of the sidewalk on West River Road. This is scheduled to start tomorrow, May 20, and will not affect service to homes at this time.

As excavation begins, drivers and pedestrians should be aware of increased truck traffic on Railroad Avenue and 5th Street. Please stay safe around construction by paying attention to construction signage and flaggers, and being aware of truck and large vehicle movements. Call the cleanup call line if you feel there are any unsafe situations (800-228-1849).

The Skykomish School has student standardized testing on May 12 and 13, and on May 18 and 19. To minimize construction noise during student testing, crews will not work in the area near the school on those days. This means crews will shift their schedule for the next two weeks, working the weekends of May 15 and May 22.

Excavation of the Northwest Developed Zone (NWDZ) begins on Friday, May 14. Crews will first excavate the southern portion of the NWDZ, then backfill, move buildings back, and excavate the northern portion of the NWDZ. This work is expected to take about a month.

Crews cut power and phone lines to the Cascadia today in preparation for restaurant demolition. Asbestos investigations should be completed today.

6th Street is temporarily closed to vehicles for excavation up to the Skykomish School's eastern sidewalk. This is being done to limit the distance excavation on the Skykomish School property will extend into 6th Street next year. Residents and the school will continue to have access via W. River Rd.

The Community Center, Ward building and Town maintenance building were moved to their temporary locations. The Community Center is stored near the 5th Street Bridge, the Town maintenance building is stored on the property behind Town Hall, and the Ward building was moved a short distance east to the adjacent Maloney's General Store property.

Crews are decommissioning some groundwater monitoring wells in different areas around town, including the NWDZ and Former Maloney Creek East. These wells will no longer be needed after cleanup work at those locations is complete.

Crews are setting up the water treatment system on the railyard in preparation for oil recovery activities.

Power and phone lines are scheduled to be cut to the Cascadia the week of May 10. Power poles will soon be removed on the corners of Railroad Avenue and 3rd Street, and Railroad Avenue and 4th Street. The power pole on the Skykomish Community Church property will also be removed. This work is not expected to cause power interruptions to nearby residences.

Excavation in the Northwest Developed Zone (NWDZ) is scheduled to begin the week of May 10. As excavation begins, drivers and pedestrians should be aware of increased truck traffic on Railroad Avenue and 5th Street. Please stay safe around construction and call the cleanup call line if you feel there are any unsafe situations (800-228-1849).

Beginning the week of May 3, 6th Street between W River Dr and Railroad Avenue will be closed to all traffic except school buses. Railroad Avenue will continue to have one-way eastbound traffic between 6th Street and 5th Street as crews prepare for excavation work in the Northwest Developed Zone.

The Community Center is being moved to its temporary storage location during April 28 - April 29. The building will be stored just east of the 5th Street Bridge. The Ward building is scheduled to be moved from April 29 - April 30. It will be stored just east of its current location, on the Maloney General Store property. The Town maintenance building is scheduled to be moved during the week of May 3. It will be stored on the property behind (west of) Town Hall.

Traffic revisions near the NWDZ will begin on Monday, 4/26, and are expected to last 3-4 weeks. 6th Street will be reduced to one lane heading south (one-way traffic) between West River Drive and Railroad Avenue. Railroad Avenue will be reduced to one lane heading east between 6th Street and 5th Street. Traffic will access the school and west neighborhoods using West River Drive, which will remain a two-way street. Please pay attention to flaggers and posted street signs.

Construction activities began for cleanup work in 2010. Strider Construction mobilized equipment and crews and began site preparation work. Construction fencing was installed around the Northwest Developed Zone (NWDZ) and the contents of the Ward builing were moved. The tennis court was demolished and crews began initial clearing and grubbing. A temporary conduit was installed on West River Drive.

Crews completed undergrounding utilities on 4th Street this week and are scheduled to complete the work on Railroad Avenue mid-next week.

Installation of water bypass on Railroad Avenue and 6th Street is scheduled for the week of April 19. The bypass line will be installed underground near the NWDZ. Residents will be notified if they will be affected by any water outages.

Preparation of the Town Maintenance, Community Center and Ward building for moving will continue next week, including terminating utilities and removing sidewalks.

Beginning April 5, crews will begin trenching and installing conduit on East Railroad Avenue and 4th Street to convert overhead utilities to underground utilities. Property owners will be notified of any power interruptions. This work is scheduled to be completed in two weeks.

The Skykomish Historical Society and Museum, Ecology staff, Town maintenance staff and the Sheriff’s Office moved to locations on Old Cascade Highway. The Historical Society and Museum is now located at 303 E. Old Cascade Highway at the former U.S. Forest Service ranger house and will be open for visitors throughout the summer. Town maintenance staff is located on Thelma Street, and Ecology staff and the Sheriff’s Office are located at 309 E. Old Cascade Highway.

Find out about 2010 construction in Skykomish at the Masonic Hall, 108 NE Old Cascade Highway on Tuesday, March 30 from 6-8pm. Learn the latest about construction activities, traffic routing and building relocation. Staff from Ecology, BNSF and the Town of Skykomish will be available to answer questions.

Details for 2010 cleanup work are being planned and arranged with the contractor, individual property owners, Ecology and BNSF. Active cleanup work for 2010 is scheduled to begin April 1, with much of the major work taking place during the summer.