An annual report from a national environmental organization lists the Clark Fork River as one of the most endangered rivers in the country. The nonprofit says the Smurfit-Stone Superfund site is polluting the river, although government agencies haven’t established that link.
D.C.-based American Rivers compiles its “Most Endangered Rivers” list each year based on three criteria: a river’s significance to people and wildlife, the severity of the threats a river faces and a management decision the public can influence within the next year.
Lisa Ronald leads the organization’s Western Montana region and says the Clark Fork River meets all three marks. Earlier this year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it planned to conduct more sampling to better understand the toxins at the site of the former Smurfit-Stone pulp mill four miles downstream of Missoula.
“We want to see them follow through on that, and I think part of the reason to elevate this issue is to make the public aware of that commitment to hold the EPA responsible for it,” Ronald said.
American River’s report on the Clark Fork says cancer-causing chemicals from Smurfit-Stone’s unlined ponds are leaking into the river. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) has for years said similar toxins found at Smurfit-Stone are present in fish caught in a 100-mile stretch of the river that passes the Superfund site. But, FWP says the source of the contaminants hasn’t been attributed.
American Rivers also says the unengineered berms that separate the site’s ponds from the river are at risk of failure in a catastrophic flood.
In an email, EPA Region 8 Administrator KC Becker said the agency is committed to investigating and addressing pollution in Montana’s rivers. An agency spokesperson added it is “premature to attribute specific sources” of the chemicals found in Clark Fork fish before the agency’s investigation of Smurfit-Stone is complete.
“EPA is confident we can balance the need to study the site with the need to mitigate existing site risks,” the statement reads in part. The agency says it continues to monitor the berms and is prepared to mitigate future flooding threats.
A meeting with Missoula County and environmental advocates is scheduled for early May to continue planning the new round of sampling, according to the agency.
