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NEWS
County Considers Old Walmart for Possible Detention Center Flathead County officials expressing initial interest in Evergreen building for new sheriff ’s office
BY DILLON TABISH OF THE BEACON
With jail space at a minimum, Flat- head County officials are negotiating with the owner of the former Walmart in Evergreen to possibly acquire the vacant site and relocate the detention center and sheriff’s office.
Flathead County Administrative Offi- cer Mike Pence is leading the early dis- cussions with the site owners. If the two sides can agree on preliminary terms, Pence said he will notify the three county commissioners, who would have to give approval for any further study or action before acquiring the space.
“We’ll have to see where it all goes. I think it could be really nice to repurpose that building, though,” Commissioner Pam Holmquist said. “As a prospect for the sheriff, I think it does have some merit.”
Last month Sheriff Chuck Curry toured the empty building and is encour- aged by the initial possibility.
“Something like this bears some con- sideration,” he said.
When the current jail was built in 1987, it was initially equipped to hold 63 peo- ple. The average daily inmate population is close to 100, Curry said, forcing staff to double bunk inmates and consistently turn away non-violent offenders.
“There’s just not enough space. We never turn away people who have to be there, but we never have space for all the warrants that should go to jail,” Curry said. “It’s a continuing worsening issue and it’s not going to get better.”
The Walmart could be renovated and allow the detention center and sheriff’s office, including personnel, to move to the Evergreen location. This could free up the current space at the county cam- pus, Curry said.
“Being able to move the operations would certainly be beneficial to every- body’s operations, not just ours,” he said.
The county has discussed expanding the detention center and sheriff’s office or developing a new space for years. The commission has agreed to devote funds to possible plans in the future.
“It has been identified as a need,”
The old Walmart building in Evergreen. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
CFAC Announces Plan to Investigate Site Contamination
Holmquist said. “We just have to do it in the most economical way and still have a quality detention center.”
The former Walmart on U.S. Highway 2 East opened in 1995 and closed in 2010
after the Walmart Supercenter was built in Kalispell’s Hutton Ranch. The build- ing, which is roughly 90,000 square feet, has sat vacant since.
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assessing the environmental conditions at CFAC and developing the data we need to evaluate potential remedial solutions,” Steve Wright, CFAC environmental manager, said. “I am looking forward to receiving input from the public and regu- lators on the draft RI/FS Work Plan so we can finalize it and move forward.”
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed placing the CFAC site on the federal Superfund program’s National Priorities List.
“It presents a roadmap and schedule for performing a comprehensive assess- ment of existing site conditions and an evaluation of alternatives to address those conditions,” Beaudry said in a writ- ten statement.
Under the draft RI/FS Work Plan, Roux will conduct field investigations in 2016, and produce a summary report the first part of 2017. The entire RI/FS evaluation is expected to take approximately four- and-a-half years. After receiving public and regulatory input, CFAC will finalize and implement the RI/FS Work Plan.
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BY TRISTAN SCOTT OF THE BEACON
The Columbia Falls Aluminum Company has developed a plan to better understand the contamination at its for- mer smelter site near the Flathead River and engineer a strategy for cleaning it up.
Haley Beaudry, the former external affairs manager at CFAC, announced the Draft Remedial Investigation and Feasi- bility Study Work Plan June 5. The RI/ FS Work Plan was developed by private environmental contractor Roux Associ- ates, and according to Beaudry complies with federal and state requirements.
And while the city of Columbia Falls, Gov. Steve Bullock, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester “This is a comprehensive plan for and a host of local organizations support
the move, CFAC and the company’s owner, Glencore, oppose listing.
Instead, CFAC hired Roux Associates to develop its own work plan for the site. CFAC is asking the public, regulators
and other interested parties to review and comment on the document. A com- ment form is included on the draft RI/ FS Work Plan’s Web site. Comments also may be e-mailed to CFAC-Comments@ rouxinc.com or mailed to CFAC RI/FS Comments, Roux Associates, c/o Colum- bia Falls Aluminum Company, 2000 Alu- minum Drive, Columbia Falls MT 59912.
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JUNE 10, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM