City backs proposed county septage facility in lower valley
The patch of land bordered by roads would host a new county sewage treatment facility if approved by commissioners. Neighbors aren't happy about the proposal. (JP Edge photo)
By CHRIS PETERSON
Hungry Horse News
The City of Columbia Falls is backing a new county septage and biosolids facility.
The county is eyeing a parcel of land in the lower valley for the facility, which has drawn the ire of some neighbors, but city officials say the facility is necessary and could be used to process the solids from its own sewage treatment plant.
The county facility, among other things, will convert biosolids from city and town sewage treatment plants into compost.
The city currently hauls the solids from its wastewater treatment plant to the county landfill. If the county septage facility is less expensive than the tipping fees at the landfill, it would haul its solid waste to the new biosolids facility, city manager Susan Nicosia told the council last week.
The council was also behind supporting the county facility.
It noted in its letter of support that the city was part of a task force looking at the problem more than 10 years. Now with federal funding available to pay for it, the city fully supported the measure.
“We strongly support the plan to build a regional septage treatment facility and biosolids composting facility here in Flathead County with the available American Rescue Plan Act funding. We believe that this is a long overdue solution to preserve environmental quality within Flathead County. The septage issue has grown exponentially since the original task force reviewed the issue and recommended a regional plant,” the city noted in its letter of support. “Choosing a location adjacent to the Lakeside Water and Sewer District is a prudent decision to capitalize on existing wastewater treatment facilities. Proximity to this district should increase the efficiency and productivity of this treatment process. We are confident that the due diligence of the county officials will place the plant at the most feasible location.”
Mayor Don Barnhart, who also serves on the city-county health board, noted there’s some misconceptions about the project. For one, he noted, it will be housed inside a large building, which will minimize noise and odors. In addition, if the county chooses the site near the Lakeside plant, it will pave the roads to it.
County commissioners on Oct. 21 approved a buy-sell agreement with the intent of purchasing 36.9 acres saying the document provides the county the ability to begin further analysis of the property. The potential closing date for the sale is listed as January 2023. But Neighbors questioned whether the land is usable for the facility because of the soils on the property and its location in the floodplain as well as its proximity to conservation easements on nearby properties. The Flathead County GIS Department map shows a portion of the property within the 100-year and 500-year flood plain.
Others said constructing an industrial facility in a residential neighborhood would mean large trucks making multiple trips per day on gravel roads to access the facility. They also suggested that the sale price of $1.5 million is too much for the property.