City could again dump snow in river

Another round of heavy snowfall could see city crews dumping snow into the South Palouse River with the use of a state permit. Andy Rogers, public works director, said he has been informed the state Department of Transportation has obtained a permit to dump the snow into the river and will provide dump trucks and a loader if needed in the coming weeks. Rogers said the city is running out of places to pile snow.

Dumping street snow into the river was a standard procedure in Colfax for years, but the practice has been curtailed because the Department of Ecology now requires a permit because of pollution concerns. The state DOT has already obtained a permit for this year, and city crews can use it, if needed, Rogers told the city council Monday night. The state extends the support because Main Street is also Highway 195.