More thoughts on CFAC
In a recent acronym-filled letter published by the Hungry Horse News, I wrote about the ongoing effort of the Coalition for a Clean CFAC to address 50 years of pollution at the retired Columbia Falls Aluminum Company plant. In that letter I quoted a report that misstated the role of the City of Columbia Falls.
A 2023 (here we go again with the acronyms) EPA TANA report (Environmental Protection Agency Technical Assistance Needs Assessment) stated the City of Columbia Falls had explored applying for a $50,000 EPA TAG (Technical Assistance Grant) to hire an independent contractor. The role of this person would be to interpret and explain technical reports, site conditions and the EPA’s proposed cleanup plans. The report further said, “the municipality did not have the capacity to administer the grant.”
That misstatement caught the attention of City Manager Susan Nicosia. She provided this correction, supported by an EPA fact sheet on the grant: “Political subdivisions like states, counties, cities, townships or tribes are specifically listed as not eligible for a TAG.” While I didn’t know the city was ineligible to apply, knowing Susan as a grant master, not to mention her concern for the health and well-being of Columbia Falls, I should have known the city had the capacity to manage the grant.
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