Transcripción completa de Bears Trigger Emergency Ordinance in Columbia Falls as Governor & EPA Tour Toxic Superfund Site

the soil and groundwater. 00:05:47.839 --> 00:05:55.920 Concerns about lingering effects from spent potliners spurred the EPA to add the 3,200 acre property to the national priorities list in 2016. 00:05:56.240 --> 00:06:04.480 Designation on the list, which is more commonly known as Superfund, streamlines the federal government's ability to hold polluting companies financially liable for cleanup. 00:06:04.719 --> 00:06:13.519 Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, the most recent facility operator, agreed in August of 2026 to pay$57.6 million for remediation of the site. 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:25.439 The prize tag covers a suite of cleanup operations, including excavation and removal of contaminated soils, installation of several protective barriers in former landfill locations, and long-term monitoring of the site. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:39.279 The first leg of the cleanup, excavating an estimated 67,500 cubic yards of soil contaminated by arsenic and other potentially harmful materials, will likely be completed this month, according to EPA Remedial Project Manager Allie Archer. 00:06:39.439 --> 00:06:47.839 She told tour participants that they're going to see some of that cleanup in action, pointing to areas of the site where the top two feet of soil were identified to have elevated contaminants. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:53.439 She said they are currently in the process of cleaning up the contamination and disposing of it on site in the landfill. 00:06:53.600 --> 00:07:06.639 Several pre-existing landfills are expected to receive improved caps and soil covers by the end of October 2026, which will prevent potentially toxic refuge from bleaching into the nearby environment and minimize the potential for human and animal exposure. 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:18.719 Once that is complete, attention will shift to construction of an underground concrete barrier known as a slurry wall, which will separate contaminated groundwater from the rest of the aquifer and ensure pollutants are kept from spilling into the Flathead River. 00:07:18.879 --> 00:07:26.879 When the plant was in operation, the field functioned as a landfill and sledge pond where workers deposited spent, potliner, and other refuge from the smelting process. 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:36.959 Groundwater samples collected between 2016 and 2018 from beneath the field revealed cyanide concentrations of up to a thousand times the threshold considered safe for drinking water. 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:41.600 Fluoride concentrations in some samples also exceeded safe levels for drinking water. 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:54.159 Levels of both chemicals dissipated as the groundwater moved away from the area underlying the landfill and sludge pond, and the groundwater samples taken nearest the Flathead River had cyanide and fluoride concentrations within the perimeters for safe drinking water. 00:07:54.319 --> 00:08:00.079 Samples taken from wells in the nearby neighborhood of Aluminum City also showed no elevated levels of either chemical. 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:13.439 Archer said that they've always seen the contaminated groundwater naturally attenuating as it makes its way toward the river, which is why they haven't seen impacts in the Flathead River, but added that the slurry wall will ensure that good water quality will persist into the future. 00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:18.480 The barrier will likely be completed by 2029, marking the conclusion of the cleanup effort. 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:25.439 Long-term monitoring, including regular groundwater sampling, will continue to ensure all landfill caps and the slurry wall remain effective. 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:33.839 Columbia Falls Lunum Company will retain ownership of 200 acres of their remediated land, including the former landfills and sludge pond, into perpetuity. 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:42.000 The sheer amount of spent potliner in the area means the land and underlying groundwater will never likely be considered safe for other uses, according to Archer. 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:44.799 The remainder of the site has already exchanged ownership. 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:49.120 After extensive testing by the EPA, turned up no significant health risks. 00:08:49.360 --> 00:08:57.279 Columbia Falls developer Mick Ruiz purchased 2,300 acres of the former site, 76 acres of which are slated for a residential subdivision. 00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:05.279 Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks purchased another 772 acres of undeveloped land from the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company in 2021. 00:09:05.519 --> 00:09:12.399 That parcel, which sits across from the Flathead River and former smelting facility, is now known as the Bad Rock Canyon Wildlife Management Area. 00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:19.519 Following the tour, Jean Forte said that it's great to hear about future plans to redevelop the site and that he looks forward to seeing continued progress. 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:28.079 Along with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, he thanked the Environmental Protection Agency for taking decisive action to return the site to productive use. 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:43.200 The Big Fork Hydroelectric Project is for sale, and Pacific Corps, the electric company that owns the dam, reports that it has received multiple proposals from parties interested in taking over the project. 00:09:43.440 --> 00:09:45.759 Offers were accepted through September 4th. 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:55.600 Pacific Corps Communications Specialist Drew Marine wrote in an email to the Big Fork Eagle that they expect to take some time to consider the proposals, then enter into discussions with one or multiple parties. 00:09:55.839 --> 00:09:59.439 Marine said the outcome may not be known until early 2027. 00:09:59.919 --> 00:10:10.879 Pacific Corps declined to share the number of proposals received or the names of the interested parties at this stage of the sale process, which remains a private business decision and is not subject to public comment,

according to Marine. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:20.960 The proposals being considered would include taking over the current hydroelectric project license with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, also known as FERC, and continuing to operate the dam. 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:24.320 These proposals are not related to the decommissioning process. 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:36.000 Marine said their hope is to find a new owner that will take over the existing FERC license and continue to operate the project as it does today, including maintaining existing public recreation access and opportunities for the community. 00:10:36.320 --> 00:10:44.879 Pacific Corps announced in June that it planned to sell the dam, which it has owned since 1954 and licensed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission since 1976. 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:52.000 The company cited more rigid federal dam safety criteria that would require significant investment as the primary reason for selling the dam. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:58.720 The current license operated by Pacific Corps is for a 50-year term and is slated to expire in July of 2053. 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:12.159 When it announced its plans, Pacific Corps said its intention was to sell the project and the surrounding land, which includes Slider Park and portions of the Swan River Nature Trail, to a party that would continue to operate the dam and keep those spaces open for public use. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:21.600 However, Pacific Corps also said that if it was unable to find an interested buyer to take over the federal license, the company would pursue the decommissioning and possible removal of the dam. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:38.240 Such a possibility was met with concern from local organizations like the Community Foundation for a Better Big Fork and the Big Fork Community Alliance, who worried about the future of events like the annual Whitewater Festival and the fate of Slider Park and the Swan River Nature Trail, as well as the possibility that the land could be developed. 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:45.200 Under the Federal License Agreement, Pacific Corps is required to provide access to public waterways and manage public recreation sites. 00:11:45.439 --> 00:11:50.720 If a new operator takes over the license, those requirements would still be in place, according to the company. 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:59.840 While the Big Fork Dam is a small run-of-the-river dam that no longer provides electricity to the community, the dam has been in existence longer than the village of Big Fork. 00:12:04.399 --> 00:12:08.240 A study released earlier this summer suggests that inflatable dams on the St. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:09.200 Mary and Lower St. 00:12:09.279 --> 00:12:12.559 Mary lakes could help in relieving future water use conflicts on the St. 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:14.480 Mary and Milk River systems. 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:14.879 St. 00:12:15.039 --> 00:12:17.519 Mary Lake is in Glacier National Park and Lower St. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:20.080 Mary Lake is on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:24.000 The iconic lakes are currently not under any water control measures. 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:25.360 The International St. 00:12:25.439 --> 00:12:31.600 Mary and Milk River study, published in July, takes a long look at both river systems and the water usage in both the U.S. 00:12:31.759 --> 00:12:35.120 and Canada, as well as the impending impacts of climate change. 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:48.320 One suggestion to keep the systems irrigating crops and providing water for the communities in their drainages is to install inflatable dams that would keep the water at a height of close to or near the regular high water mark for a longer period of time. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:54.399 The water, in essence, would be stored for later use in the summer for crop irrigation on both sides of the border. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:13:03.919 Glacier National Park is already greatly impacted by the system, in particular by the Sherburne Dam, which holds back water from Swift Quare Creek flowing out of the Mini Glacier Valley. 00:13:04.159 --> 00:13:10.000 The seasonal rise and fall of Sherburne Lake results in a largely barren shoreline deep inside the boundaries of the park. 00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:16.080 Water from Sherburne Lake is diverted for irrigation and other uses farther downstream in both Canada and the U.S. 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:16.720 The St. 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:20.080 Mary Canal, built in 1915, draws water off of the St. 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:21.519 Mary River below Lower St. 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:26.000 Mary Lake and 29 miles later dumps it into the North Fork of the Milk River. 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:31.279 The North Fork of the Milk River flows into Canada, where it's used for crop irrigation and municipal water. 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:35.919 It parallels the U.S.-Canada border for about 90 miles and then flows back into the U.S. 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:39.919 northeast of Haver, where it's dammed to create the Fresno Reservoir. 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:51.600 The 140 plus page study recommends a host of other measures to keep the proverbial water flowing into the future, as climate change promises warmer winters with less snow and hotter summers that will result in more usage. 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:56.639 The study doesn't dive into the details of the proposed inflatable dams or how exactly they would work. 00:13:56.879 --> 00:14:00.559 It does state that the inflatable dams create a storage in both upper and lower St. 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:04.960 Mary lakes by retaining the spring freshette until later into the irrigation season. 00:14:05.200 --> 00:14:09.279 Lake levels will not exceed the typical high water level naturally achieved. 00:14:09.439 --> 00:14:14.159 Seasonal maximum combined storage of both lakes is 16,800 acre feet. 00:14:14.399 --> 00:14:26.720 An acre foot of water, which is the amount of water to cover one acre of land with one foot of water, is about 325,000 gallons, so both dams would potentially hold back about 5.4 billion gallons of water. 00:14:26.960 --> 00:14:38.639 With additional administrative changes to how water is managed and allocated, the study suggested that both countries in the future would have most of their water entitlements maintained at 100% or close to it for the next 100 years. 00:14:38.879 --> 00:14:42.559 The study now goes before the International Joint Commission for further review. 00:14:42.799 --> 00:14:46.320 A public comment period for the document ended on August 31st. 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:50.080 To read this full story, visit HungryHorsenews.com. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:55.200 Thanks for joining us. 00:14:55.360 --> 00:14:57.600 News Now is a podcast from the Daily Interlake. 00:14:57.679 --> 00:15:02.799 We're proud to be the largest independent newsroom in Montana and the longest continuously published newspaper in the region. 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:11.120 Today's stories are written by Big Fork Eagle Reporter Elsa Erickson, Hungry Horse News Editor Chris Peterson, and Daily Interlake reporter Haley Smalley. 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:14.960 You can read the full versions of these stories at dailyinterlake.com. 00:15:15.120 --> 00:15:18.960 And if you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel to never miss an episode of The Pod. 00:15:19.439 --> 00:15:21.439 Everybody stay safe and have a great week.