A former lumber mill owned by International Paper contaminated the water supply for a large part of the city of Libby. It’s the lesser-known Superfund site in the town widely known for asbestos contamination.
In order to protect residents, federal regulators worked with the city to implement a ban on wells. But a new report found there are some gaps in the policy. Jason Rappe, a remedial project manager with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says, “There are some properties outside of the city limits of Libby that aren’t covered by the city well ban ordinance.”
Rappe says without those protections, property owners might unknowingly drill a well and drink contaminated water.
The EPA and International Paper will work together to find a solution. Rappe says that would likely require Lincoln County to ban wells on those properties.
Rappe adds that for the first time, the EPA is also studying the deeper reaches of the aquifer for contaminants. That report is expected within the next two years.
