Idaho Fossils

[Ron Baalke <BAALKE@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>]

Fossils At Cleanup Site Nothing Special

MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) - Fossils found at an industrial cleanup in Moscow are not
unique to the area and construction crews have gone ahead with plans to fill 
in the site.

University of Idaho graduate student Neal Farmer stumbled upon the fossils last
month and wanted to conduct a more systematic survey of the fossil bed.

Farmer has found twigs, pine needles, berries and pollen which date back 
13 million years.

But Ronald Crawford, director of the Institute for Molecular and Genetic
Engineering, said there are better sites in the county that have more
well-preserved fossils.

Crawford said the site was surveyed and the fossils protected with a layer of 
sand in case someone wants to come along later and examine the site. He said 
that's probably unlikely because there are other sites in the county with 
more potential.

The school wants to pick up the 10-acre site from Burlington Northern Railroad.
It is contaminated with chemicals from several petroleum distributors that 
operated there.

Carol Grupp, risk management director at Idaho, said the purchase will probably
occur by the end of the year.