Page 8 - Flathead Beacon // 2.3.16

NEWS
County Supports Alternative to Superfund for CFAC
Commission sends letter to EPA asking for site to be designated as ‘Superfund Alternative’ due to Glencore involvement
BY MOLLY PRIDDY OF THE BEACON
The Flathead County Commission on Jan. 25 approved a letter supporting the alternative plan to a Superfund designation for the shuttered Columbia Falls Aluminum Company.
The letter, addressed to the regional Environmen- tal Protection Agency o ce in Colorado, expresses the commission’s desire to see the CFAC facility cleaned up if need be, but to also avoid the stigma that can brand a community after a Superfund designation.
In the past several months, there have been multi- ple meetings with CFAC’s owners – global conglomerate Glencore – and city, county, state, and federal o cials involved.
As a result of the meetings, Glencore agreed to an Administrative Order of Consent which states it will pay for environmental damages. A Superfund listing could still be in the cards, however; Mike Cirian, a regional project manager for the EPA, said last week that agency o cials had informed him that any action would take place this fall.
By supporting the Superfund alternative, Com- missioner Pam Holmquist said it’s a way to begin the cleanup process while giving the valley a chance to avoid a Superfund label.
Flathead County Commissioners Pam Holmquist and Phil Mitchell. BEACON FILE PHOTO “We don’t want it to be a Superfund site unless Glen-
core quits doing what they’re doing,” Holmquist said. “Right now, they’ve stepped up to the plate.”
The company, based in Switzerland, doesn’t have a solid track record when it comes to working with local governmental agencies. Negotiations broke down between the Glencore and the Department of Environ- mental Quality in late 2014, only to be resurrected once the push for a Superfund designation happened last year.
The commission made note of the company’s ret- icence to get involved, but then said the monthly
meetings discussing the alternative plan have led to the company the next step of a completed remedial inves- tigation and feasibility study. Holmquist said the com- pany has already invested about $4 million.
Holmquist also said she has been very impressed with the economic rebuilding and rebranding happening in Columbia Falls, such as building the city’s rst hotel and other businesses stepping up to create a supportive atmosphere, and that she wouldn’t want to preemptively stamp their e orts with a Superfund designation.
As long as Glencore continues to pay and stay involved, Holmquist said she’s OK with supporting the alternative plan and protecting the valley and its tourism. The study could also determine the cause and extent of the contamination.
“In reality, they haven’t really produced a smoking gun yet, and hopefully if we can give them time with this monitoring, we’ll know where the smoking gun is and then we can move forward,” Holmquist said.
Holmquist and Commissioner Phil Mitchell signed the letter, Commissioner Gary Krueger was listed as not available for signature since he was on vacation when the letter was sent. When reached on vacation, Krueger said he didn’t have an opinion on the letter or its con- tents because he hadn’t seen it.
mpriddy@ atheadbeacon.com
Student Arrested After Loaded Gun Found in Backpack Flathead High student allegedly told administrators the gun was to be sold or traded
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
A Flathead High School student was arrested last week after sta discovered a loaded handgun in his backpack.
A sta member informed school administrators of an incident involving alcohol on Jan. 29 and during an investi- gation a handgun was found in a student’s backpack. The student, a male who was not identi ed by age, allegedly said the rearm was brought to school to be sold or traded, according to administrators.
Mark Flatau, superintendent of Kalis- pell Public Schools, said the gun was loaded, but he did not know how many bullets were in it.
School administration and the Kalis- pell Police Department acted immedi- ately to address the situation, Flatau said, and the incident remains under investigation.
The incident also involved drugs and a second student is also in police custody, Flatau said.
“You hate to have this happen but we
are grateful and thankful that it ended in the manner that it did, with no one threatened, no one even aware of the situation other than those individuals involved,” Flatau said.
Names of the students are being with- held because they are minors. Per FHS school policy, a student who uses, pos- sesses or transfers a rearm, or any object that can reasonably be considered or looks like a rearm, shall be expelled for a de nite period of time of at least one calendar year.
The school district sent out emails and recorded phone messages to FHS parents and sta around 5 p.m. informing them of the situation.
“Due diligence today enabled this inci- dent to be handled promptly with appro- priate actions by FHS sta ,” the message stated, adding, “This serves as a good reminder to all of us to talk to our stu- dents, know where they are at all times, and report any suspicious activity.”
dtabish@ atheadbeacon.com
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FEBRUARY 3, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM