Page 12 - Flathead Beacon // 8.31.16

NEWS
800,000 Pounds of Asbestos Waste Removed from CFAC EPA Superfund decision, community involvement plan expected this fall
BY CLARE MENZEL OF THE BEACON
Since the Department of Environmental Quality announced June 23 its waste management plan for the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company (CFAC) site, Cal- bag Resources, a Portland, Oregon-based demolition contractor, has removed over 850,650 pounds of asbes- tos-containing materials from the shuttered facility.
The Environmental Protection Agency rst proposed the site for listing under the National Priorities List in March 2015, the same year the industrial plant, which operated along the Flathead River from 1955 to 2009, permanently closed. The EPA is expected to make a nal decision this fall on whether to list CFAC on the National Priorities List, a register of hazardous waste sites eli- gible for long-term remedial cleanup under the federal Superfund program.
The EPA also plans to release this fall its Community Involvement Plan, a summary of interviews with com- munity members and comments from the public. A draft of the CIP will be made available for public review and comment before the EPA nalizes the plan later this year.
In July, Calbag removed 17,340 pounds of regulated
Demolition at the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company site. BEACON FILE PHOTO
asbestos-containing material, de ned as containing more than one percent asbestos and carrying the most risk to the health of residents and workers. To date, 52,420 pounds of regulated asbestos waste has been removed for the site
In July, workers removed an additional 28,720 pounds of non-regulated asbestos-containing waste, which has fewer hazardous concerns. To date 798,000 pounds of non-regulated asbestos waste has been removed.
Calbag Resources is also authorized to remove 451 pot liners containing 26,000 tons of K088, a listed hazard- ous waste, from the pot room building.
If the site is not added to the National Priorities List this fall, the EPA has the option to re-propose Super- fund listing, according to the agency. Regardless, the EPA will complete its investigation and remain involved with cleanup until the site is eligible for reuse, accord- ing to o cials.
The remedial investigation of the site, which is ongo- ing, will determine the nature and extent of the con- tamination from spent pot liners as well as any poten- tial risks to human health and the environment. Crews working on surveying and drilling for the investigation are expected to nish this month; surface and ground water sampling is scheduled to begin in September.
The nal remedial investigation report, which the EPA expects to complete by February 2020, will provide options for addressing site risks. A feasibility study eval- uating these cleanup strategies will likely be completed in 2021. The EPA will then put forward a plan with pri- mary and alternative approaches.
clare@ atheadbeacon.com
March to Raise Awareness for Veterans Health, Education Veterans and supporters will march from Somers to Kalispell on Sept. 10
BY JUSTIN FRANZ OF THE BEACON
Members of the Northwest Mon- tana chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America are organizing a march to raise awareness about veterans’ health and education on Sept. 10.
The march will begin in Somers and end in Kalispell’s Depot Park, where a cookout will be held. Retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Tip Clark said the group hopes to raise money for local veterans in need.
“It seems as if our veterans who are dealing with critical health issues are not getting the consoling and treatment they
deserve,” Clark said.
Participants will be able to pledge at
least $5 or a speci c dollar amount for every mile they walk that will be donated to a variety of veteran-related causes, Clark said. Half of the money will go to the Kalispell Vet Center to support rein- tegration counseling and therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder or sexual trauma. The other half will go toward the Flathead Valley Community College’s Veterans’ Center and scholarships. The center aids veterans who are seeking higher education at the local community college.
Clark said treatment and therapy is
critical for veterans who su ered from the horrors of war. Statistics suggest that nearly 20 veterans nationwide commit suicide every single day.
More than 2.7 million American sol- diers served in Vietnam during the 1960s and 1970s. According to recent studies, 300,000 Vietnam veterans, or about one in 10, su er from post-traumatic stress disor- der. Such statistics are especially import- ant in states like Montana, home to more than 100,000 veterans (one-tenth the population of the state), a third of whom served in Vietnam. Flathead County alone is home to more than 9,000 veterans.
Registration and organization for the
Sept. 10 march will take place at 8 a.m. that morning in Somers across from the U.S. Post O ce. Later that morning, the marchers will head north walking along the Rails to Trails of Northwest Mon- tana path that follows U.S. Highway 93. The 9-mile walk is expected to take about three-and-a-half hours. Clark said orga- nizers will have at least two water stops along the way, and if walkers are injured or grow tired during the march, they will be able to hitch a ride back to their vehicle. Medical professionals will also be onsite.
For more information, call (406) 857- 3609 or visit www.northwestmtavva.com. jfranz@ atheadbeacon.com
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AUGUST 31, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM