Clean up at Idaho Falls stockyards could be coming

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - A cleanup effort at the old stockyards in Idaho Falls could be underway soon, but first, the city has to decide who's paying for the effort.

The land behind the new Idaho Falls police station still belongs to Union Pacific Railroad. The property includes some abandoned mobile homes. The city would also like to see the remaining wood fencing removed.

At a work session Monday, the Idaho Falls City Council indicated they have three options. They can practice some code enforcement with the railroad; ask the railroad to help with the cleanup; or the council can pass a resolution to clean up the stockyards themselves.

The city's attorney Michael Kirkham pointed out some possible issues in getting the railroad to clean up the property.

"Railroads are kind of an unusual corporate creature in our country, and they've got a lot of federal grants and control, and they are exempt in many ways from what the City can regulate," Kirkham said.

The city says they have "contacted the railroad and continue to discuss options. They haven't said absolutely no or yes to paying for the cleanup."