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State, tribal and federal trustees outline damage-assessment plan for Columbia Falls Aluminum site; public comment extended

3762321 · June 10, 2025
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Montana's Natural Resource Damage Program and co-trustees released a draft natural resource damage assessment plan for the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company site, describing contaminants, the geographic and temporal scope of assessment, and extending the written public comment period to July 23.

Montana Natural Resource Damage Program scientists on Tuesday presented a draft natural resource damage (NRD) assessment plan for the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company (CFAC) site and said they will accept written public comments on the plan through July 23.

The draft plan, prepared by the state with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and two federal agencies, outlines assessment steps the trustees say are needed to determine whether releases from the former aluminum reduction plant injured public resources — and, if so, to quantify damages and fund restoration projects.

Trustees said the site has multiple contaminant sources, including spent potliner and sludge ponds, and named fluoride, hydrogen fluoride and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) among contaminants of concern. The spatial scope will include the 1,300-acre CFAC property and “anywhere that…

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