Missoula — Katie Garson Forba, Superfund and abandoned mine lands bureau chief at the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, told attendees the agency has led or supported a string of major cleanups in the Clark Fork Basin while confronting long timeframes and changing conditions.

DEQ accomplishments and limits: Garson Forba highlighted completed work including 26 miles of cleanup on Silver Bow Creek and the Milltown Dam removal as milestones that have improved downstream water quality. "We've completed multiple phases of the Upper Clark Fork site," she said, noting EPA five‑year reviews find many remediated areas protective of human health. At the same time, she warned that "with changes in the current administration at the federal level, we are seeing some shifts in how we do cleanups and so we're having to adapt to that."

Climate and remedy design: Garson Forba said Superfund remedies must now be designed to withstand changing hydrology and extreme events. "We are tasked with creating climate resilient remedies," she said, adding that some tools and resources used in past remedies are becoming less reliable as conditions change, complicating 20‑ to 100‑year projections.

Land acquisition and partnerships: When asked whether federal Superfund money can be used to buy floodplain land, Garson Forba said DEQ’s abandoned mine program has limited capacity and statutory restrictions — purchases inside federal Superfund sites are constrained — but the agency is exploring partnerships and some state programs can acquire or steward land outside strict Superfund boundaries. She told the audience the abandoned mine program receives roughly $4,000,000 a year to implement cleanup work across sites with far greater cumulative liabilities.

Takeaway: DEQ framed its role as moving remediation forward while balancing community priorities and legal requirements; the agency urged continued technical and community advisory engagement to shape durable remedies and restoration approaches.