More details emerge from CFAC, EPA talks
Representatives from Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency met in person Aug. 5 to analyze the administrative order of consent. The 33-page document is a legal agreement that sets cleanup actions for the plant.
They went through the “rulebook” line by line and were left with some things that needed more research or investigation, said John Stroiazzo, Glencore’s project manager for CFAC cleanup. Current CFAC representatives don’t know the detailed history of the plant, he said.
They visited the plant during the eight-hour meeting and both groups left with action items, Stroiazzo said at a public meeting Aug. 13 hosted by the company.
“We have done very, very well,” he said. “We think it (an agreement) will happen sooner than later.”
EPA Project Manager Michael Cirian said that it is a good sign that Glencore, CFAC’s parent company, acknowledges something needs to be done.
Although the discussion is going well, there is a long road ahead before cleanup begins.
“We can’t start cleanup next year,” Cirian said. They have to do sampling to know what is contaminated and needs to be cleaned up. If an agreement is reached, they estimate the testing will begin next year.
The EPA and CFAC’s next meeting is a conference call Aug. 25.
Michael Ritorto, Roux Associates senior hydrogeologist, presented information about hydrogeology in Flathead Valley and the CFAC plant. He showed a map of the proposed 43 new monitoring wells and 17 bedrock wells in addition to the existing 25 wells from the 1980s and ‘90s. The wells will evaluate the depth and direction of groundwater, which are key to assessing the contamination from the plant.
Resident Nino Berube was concerned about the location of these wells.
Ritorto assured him that this is a proposal and only phase one. EPA will critique the plan during discussions between them and CFAC.
They don’t have reason to believe at this point that activities occurred in the forest between the plant and aluminum city to harm the health of the public, he said. They will start drilling after CFAC and EPA come to an agreement. As they make new findings, they will adjust the plan. Currently the wells are focused around the landfills and buildings on the site.
They will also test surface water from at least seven locations along the Flathead River, plus surface water from Cedar Creek and Cedar Creek Reservoir overflow drainage, Ritorto said. They will sample throughout the year to account for seasonality.
The public comment period is still open for the draft remedial investigation and feasibility study work plan created by Roux and is available at the ImagineIF library in Columbia Falls and online at http://www.rouxinc.com/cfac-draft-ri-fs-work-plan-available-for-public-comment/.
The EPA site assessment from 2013 and 2014 is also available as both a summary and full report at http://www2.epa.gov/region8/columbia-falls-aluminum-reduction-plant. Public comments will still be accepted. Contact information is at the bottom of the page on this website.
In other news:
• Free well testing of private wells near CFAC is still available, CFAC Environmental Engineer Steve Wright said.
The testing will be quarterly for a year at the expense of Glencore. CFAC consultant Hydrometrics completed the first round of testing in June for people who accepted the offer and sent the results by mail last week. They tested 10 of the 20 wells originally tested by the EPA in 2013 and 2014.
• Six hundred people attended or viewed the auction at the end of July, said Cliff Boyd, director of asset recovery for Calbag Resources. People who purchased one of the 22,000 items have until Aug. 31 to remove the item from the plant.
“Stuff is moving quickly,” he said.
The auction was a safety concern, but necessary. He said he is glad to have it over and move on to more demolition. The next step is deconstructing the cell lines.
Within the last two weeks, after the auction ended, Calbag found an unopened crate of new sleeping bags, cots and pillows in a corner of the plant.
Boyd said they want to donate them to a local organization. Panel members gave many ideas for local shelters and clubs.
A community open house is planned for Oct. 8 at the Columbia Falls High School. The time of the meeting hasn’t been finalized.
The open house will provide an informal opportunity to the public to talk to representatives from the community liaison panel, Calbag, EPA, Roux Associates and CFAC.
The next public meeting is Thursday, Sept. 10 at 6 p.m. in the Teakettle Community Room, 235 Nucleus Avenue. Dinner is at 5:30 p.m.