North Fork Road dust is a hazard

I’d like to expound on opinions from last week from Joe Novak. The North Fork Road Coalition For Health and Safety commissioned Dr. Tony Ward, of the University of Montana, to conduct area tests to prove dust levels along the North Fork Road adjacent to private and public property does in fact exceed allowable limits imposed by the state of Montana as well as the EPA.

It was no great surprise as to the outcome that proved our concerns. These findings were shared with local groups and county commissioners that took it under advisement.

Since the study was conducted, many other findings have cropped up to add validity to our assertion that something needed to be done about the hazardous effects of dust to water, air, plants and animals.

One of the more striking findings comes from the Flathead Lake Biological Station report, which states, “Decline in water quality is caused mainly by nutrient pollution in runoff from populated areas and deposition of wind-carried smoke and dust particles on the lake surface.”

In addition, according to the 2007-2008 U.S. Geological Survey of water quality in the North Fork of the Flathead River, co-author E. William Schweiger, Ph.D. ecologist, Rocky Mountain Network, National Park Service, wrote in part that nearly all of the major western tributaries of the North Fork have previously been listed on Montana’s 303d list of impaired streams for cold-water fisheries owing to sediment-loading associated with erosion of unpaved roads.

This last finding in interesting in that our own Glacier National Park superintendent, who should have had access to the survey, either never got the memo or disregarded it out of hand. Perhaps the best way for the Park to address an issue like water and air quality along their western boundary is to pretend there is no problem to begin with.

As noted in a recent Larry Wilson column, the North fork Road has received gravel treatment as well as magnesium chloride on sections of the road. These short-term fixes are welcome for now, but the unknowns will have a probable downside. The jury is still out as to effects of these chemicals in the long term to water quality.

Time will tell as to either keeping a few extra visitors from driving up the North Fork or letting it go sterile due to lack of dust and erosion control will have the desired outcome. Here’s hoping, too, that the new Glacier Park superintendent will have the fortitude to care enough about air and water to do the right thing.

Ray Brown lives in Polebridge.