Columbia Falls, Mont. (June 2, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a proposed cleanup plan detailing its preferred cleanup option for the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company (CFAC) Superfund site in Flathead County, Montana.
The proposed cleanup plan provides an overview of the site, the alternatives evaluated during a feasibility study completed for the site in 2021 and details of the preferred alternative. This announcement coincides with the start of a 60-day comment period from June 1-July 31 during which EPA will solicit public comments on the proposed plan.
The CFAC site is located two miles northeast of Columbia Falls on the Flathead River and was once home to an aluminum reduction facility. The primary contaminants of concern are fluoride, cyanide and various metals. EPA’s proposed plan presents the actions needed to protect human health and the environment from contaminants present in landfills, surface water and groundwater at the site.
A public meeting will be held on June 28 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Columbia Falls Town Hall, City Council Chambers, 130 6th Street West, Columbia Falls, to describe the proposed plan and solicit comments before a Record of Decision Amendment is released later this year. Other in-person outreach opportunities will also be provided during the comment period by EPA staff and technical advisors with the Technical Assistance Services for Communities program. These opportunities will include public meetings on June 21 and July 12 at the Columbia Falls Town Hall, City Council Chambers, at noon and 6:30 p.m. on both days.
Both written and oral comments will be accepted at the public meeting on June 28. Written comments can also be sent by email to Missy Haniewicz at haniewicz.melissa.m@epa.gov or by standard mail to Missy Haniewicz, U.S. EPA, 1595 Wynkoop Street, Denver, Colorado, 80202.
EPA will review and consider all comments and will either move forward with the preferred alternative, modify it or select another alternative. Comments will be addressed in a Responsiveness Summary in the final Record of Decision for the site.
The proposed plan, associated documents and information on how to submit comments can be found at the Columbia Falls Superfund site webpage.