11-10-2006, 11:02 PM
Comments about the proposed natural resource damage assessment settlement restoration plan for Marathon Oil Co.'s three Parke County properties collectively known as Rosedale are being sought from the public by various government agencies.
The DNR, Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) are the trustees in the case. The DNR will collect and assess the comments, which must be received by Dec. 18, on behalf of all trustees before deciding whether to put the plan into action as it stands.
The properties were damaged by the release of hazardous substances from three separate oil spills involving Marathon. The accidents, which occurred from August 1997 to April 1999, affected areas north of Rosedale and southeast of Coxville. Approximately 4,000 feet of the affected area borders Big Raccoon Creek.
The plan is referred to as "Rosedale" because that is the largest area affected. On Aug. 24, 1997, approximately 463,680 gallons of crude oil affected 41.25 acres of wetlands. The other two areas are Catlin (March 30, 1999, 2.8 miles of creek and 24 acres of riverine habitat) and Daylight (April 7, 1999, 2.36 acres of wetland habitat and 5.7 acres of riverine habitat). Catlin and Daylight were added to the plan as a matter of convenience, according to Wayne Faatz, who is representing DNR co-trustee John Davis, DNR deputy director, in the case.
The restoration plan, which resulted from a settlement between Marathon, the state and federal natural resource trustees, outlines actions that will restore, rehabilitate, replace, and acquire the equivalent of any natural resources and services lost as a result of the accidents.
The consent decree among the involved parties was already released for public comment before it was signed, so that settlement is a past issue.
"The comments should address only the proposed restoration plan," Faatz said.
The trustees, who are associated with the government agencies listed, hold that the plan will provide fair compensation for the damage.
The public is invited to mail written comments about the restoration plan by Dec. 18 to: Wayne C. Faatz, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Rm. W273, 402 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN. 46204-2708.
Copies of the plan are available at the Rockville Public Library, 106 N. Market St., Rockville, IN 47872, and at the Vigo County Public Library, 1 Library Square, Terre Haute, IN 47804. Requests to be mailed a hard copy can be made to Faatz, [url "mailto:wfaatz@dnr.IN.gov"]mailto:wfaatz@dnr.IN.gov[/url] or (317) 232-4098. Interested parties also may view the plan online at [url "http://dnr.in.gov/press/Marathon-Rosedale-Settlement.pdf"]http://dnr.in.gov/press/Marathon-Rosedale-Settlement.pdf[/url].
The comments will be reviewed by Faatz on behalf of the trustees. Depending upon the comments received, the trustees could rewrite or tweak the plan.
"Even if there aren't major changes suggested, it's possible that the public could have suggestions that will fit into the restoration plan that weren't thought of by the trustee representatives that we could add," Faatz said, "so we appreciate getting the public feedback."
Faatz said that if the plan is accepted and tree stock can be located, work might start as early as next spring.
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The DNR, Department of Interior, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) are the trustees in the case. The DNR will collect and assess the comments, which must be received by Dec. 18, on behalf of all trustees before deciding whether to put the plan into action as it stands.
The properties were damaged by the release of hazardous substances from three separate oil spills involving Marathon. The accidents, which occurred from August 1997 to April 1999, affected areas north of Rosedale and southeast of Coxville. Approximately 4,000 feet of the affected area borders Big Raccoon Creek.
The plan is referred to as "Rosedale" because that is the largest area affected. On Aug. 24, 1997, approximately 463,680 gallons of crude oil affected 41.25 acres of wetlands. The other two areas are Catlin (March 30, 1999, 2.8 miles of creek and 24 acres of riverine habitat) and Daylight (April 7, 1999, 2.36 acres of wetland habitat and 5.7 acres of riverine habitat). Catlin and Daylight were added to the plan as a matter of convenience, according to Wayne Faatz, who is representing DNR co-trustee John Davis, DNR deputy director, in the case.
The restoration plan, which resulted from a settlement between Marathon, the state and federal natural resource trustees, outlines actions that will restore, rehabilitate, replace, and acquire the equivalent of any natural resources and services lost as a result of the accidents.
The consent decree among the involved parties was already released for public comment before it was signed, so that settlement is a past issue.
"The comments should address only the proposed restoration plan," Faatz said.
The trustees, who are associated with the government agencies listed, hold that the plan will provide fair compensation for the damage.
The public is invited to mail written comments about the restoration plan by Dec. 18 to: Wayne C. Faatz, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Rm. W273, 402 W. Washington St. Indianapolis, IN. 46204-2708.
Copies of the plan are available at the Rockville Public Library, 106 N. Market St., Rockville, IN 47872, and at the Vigo County Public Library, 1 Library Square, Terre Haute, IN 47804. Requests to be mailed a hard copy can be made to Faatz, [url "mailto:wfaatz@dnr.IN.gov"]mailto:wfaatz@dnr.IN.gov[/url] or (317) 232-4098. Interested parties also may view the plan online at [url "http://dnr.in.gov/press/Marathon-Rosedale-Settlement.pdf"]http://dnr.in.gov/press/Marathon-Rosedale-Settlement.pdf[/url].
The comments will be reviewed by Faatz on behalf of the trustees. Depending upon the comments received, the trustees could rewrite or tweak the plan.
"Even if there aren't major changes suggested, it's possible that the public could have suggestions that will fit into the restoration plan that weren't thought of by the trustee representatives that we could add," Faatz said, "so we appreciate getting the public feedback."
Faatz said that if the plan is accepted and tree stock can be located, work might start as early as next spring.
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