Having read Congressman Ryan Zinke’s recent letter, and having heard his story/photo-op stop at the now shuttered Columbia Falls Aluminum Company plant, I must respond. Being that I go back to the late Anaconda Aluminum era into the Atlantic Richfield era, as one of the Purchasing Department employees that ended up as the Purchasing Manager handling all major raw materials, with a budget of $56 million per year, a response is required. I have the utmost respect for Congressman Zinke, but his take on “things” as this plant is being torn down is off center. A reminder is needed in that Glencore’s attorneys got up from the bargaining table with our governor and his agencies, and thus turned their backs on the state taking the lead on whatever will be needed to salvage that property to a useable piece of real estate. At that point, the City Council of Columbia Falls, of which I am an elected member, then lettered D.C. to help.
Sen. Jon Tester was all over it fairly quickly, and thus we are where we are awaiting the EPA decision in fall of 2016. At the moment, those of us who live here know how “slow” things are progressing with our state agencies even now being responsible for simple building removal. How can they handle the real question, about all the contaminates buried in the various “dumps” on plant site. In my opinion, neither staff nor monies are available within our state’s agencies to handle this. And this continuing reflection of EPA sites not cleaned up is false. Just how many are old mine sites now approaching 100 plus years’ worth of tailings? To even compare Libby’s mine to our plant is erroneous, as one brought material via the employee and area-wide use in a now known danger, and the CFAC plant which is located in Flathead County outside our city’s border problem with buried production “stuff” now chemically breaking down in the ground and posing a huge risk to the Flathead River, and wells in the geographic area.
I ask the congressman to please come and spend some time with those of us in the front line of this problem, and get the correct information. If it means a cleanup is assured and a Superfund listing, then so be it. I put my big boy pants on every morning and assure you I can handle this. But to delay and argue over who, what, where, is not going to protect the property and local environment. Congressman Ryan Zinke, please come see us.
Michael F. Shepard
Columbia Falls