The Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year released its plan to contain soils with high levels of cyanide and fluoride at the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Superfund Site. The plan calls for an underground concrete wall to prevent toxins from leaching into the groundwater. The method is known as a “slurry wall.”
The EPA has said removing all contaminated soils at the site along the Flathead River would be impractical given the size of the site and how close it is to the water.
But former owner Atlantic Richfield as well as residents question whether that will work with the rocky soil. The wall would be required to be over 100 feet deep.
People shared these concerns with the EPA during the public comment period. The Hungry Horse News first filed a request for those documents.
The EPA will respond to comments when it issues its final decision. That’s expected in March