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Four More Homes Lost to Flathead Gas Spill

By Beacon Staff

POLSON – Four more homes along Flathead Lake were evacuated over the weekend. That brings to five the number deemed unsafe to occupy, after an April 2nd fuel tanker accident that dumped almost 6,400 gallons of gasoline in a ditch along state Highway 35.

Residents say they have been told it could be years, even decades, before it’s safe to return.

Some east shore residents have long called for a limit on the types of trucks and cargoes hauled on the narrow, winding Highway 35.

The state has long maintained it can’t limit the truck traffic because Highway 35 is federally funded. But state Transportation Director Jim Lynch recently directed his staff to investigate whether options are available to regulate what can and can’t be hauled on the road.