Public Comment. Volume III - Montana Legislature

Study Plan Page 6
Information needed in order to conduct this study include:
Accumulation and distribution of incidental coal dust generated by TRR operations as it
affects the water supply and ponds of MCFH,
A review of related studies that describe methodology and provide results,
Results of bioassays that test the effects of coal dust to fish, plankton, and
macroinvertebrates.
Obiective.
The objective of coal dust studies should be to determine how incidental coal dust from TRR
operations will affect production, survival, and condition of plankton, macroinvertebrate, and
fish raised in MCFH ponds.
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Literature 1 SANSS review
Determination of the levels of incidental coal dust (modeling)
Bioassays (if necessary)
Data analysis
A literature review is necessary to determine effects of coal dust to. fish. The Chemical
Information Systems (CIS) company specializes in such searches and may be used to retrieve
information fiom the Structural and Nomenclature Search System (SANSS) database. Modeling
to simulate conditions around MCFH should be conducted to determine the distribution and
pattern of incidental coal dust as well as the potential for contamination.
Derailment events
Catastrophic events of concern to MT DFWP include train derailments within the vicinity of
MCFH and anywhere upstream where the hatchery's secondary water supply h m the Tongue
River may be contaminated with potentially hazardous chemicals and materials. Although the
risk of derailment associated with a single trip may be minuscule, over the course of a year there
can be as many as 4,400 train trips that increase the likelihood. This risk also increases as the
number of trains and the loads increase throughout the life span of the railroad.
Derailment may result in a spill of petrochemicals, such as diesel he1 and lubricants, which are
hannhl to aquatic life and pose a threat to the hatchery operations. Current estimates have been
provided for defined sections of the railroad that are of interest to TRRC (Radian, 1998).
However, there should be an assessment of this event as it may affect MCFH. This may result in
recommendations for emergency spill response either on-site or at MCFH's intake on the Tongue
River.
Questions that should be addressed in derailment studies include:
What is the risk of derailment, spillage, and contamination associated with TRR
operations as it affects MCFH?
-240- Volume Ill: Public Comment