Federal environmental officials say efforts by the J.R. Simplot Company to reduce the flow of phosphorus into the Portneuf River near Pocatello are already paying dividends.
Environmental Protection Agency researchers say the latest monitoring data shows phosphorus levels in the river from the company’s portion of the Eastern Michaud Flats Superfund site have declined significantly.
This week, the EPA and Simplot filed a consent decree in federal court that puts in legal language the company’s strategy for reducing phosphorus.
The public now has 30 days to comment on the consent decree.
But many of new cleanup strategies included in the document are already being done.
Earlier this year, the company began placing a synthetic liner over the massive gypsum waste pile outside the company’s fertilizer plant near Pocatello. (AP)
