COLUMBIA FALLS — The former Columbia Falls Aluminum Company plant site, within a federal Superfund area, is seeing new development for the first time since its closure in 2009. Developer Mick Ruis is spearheading a 78-acre project that promises over 400 housing units and future commercial spaces. At a press event, Gov. Greg Gianforte and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin praised the initiative, calling it a pivotal step in revitalizing the blighted region.
“One of the most exciting steps of the Superfund process is being able to delist a project at the end of it, to be able to get an important vision not just started, but completed,” Zeldin stated. “Fortunately, we are at a very important milestone moment here in Columbia Falls, where there is just so much incredible progress imminently ahead on this project.”
The Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, or CFAC, operated since the 1950s, transforming alumina into aluminum and providing numerous jobs in Flathead Valley. However, the process generated hazardous waste byproducts. In 2016, the site was designated as a Superfund location by the EPA, with a $57 million cleanup agreement finalized this year between CFAC, owned by Glencore, Ltd., and the federal government.
Despite concerns from residents regarding the development within a wildlife corridor and potential health risks, city officials approved the project. The EPA and Montana Department of Environmental Quality have confirmed the site is cleared for development. During tours, Zeldin and Gianforte acknowledged Ruis’s contributions to the project.
Previously, hazardous waste such as cyanide, fluoride, and arsenic were deposited at CFAC, threatening the Flathead River through groundwater contamination. A crucial part of the cleanup involves constructing a slurry wall to prevent further groundwater pollution, slated for completion by 2029. Additional efforts include lining an overflow ditch, adding a containment landfill, and ongoing monitoring.
“Our main goal with cleanup is to protect the Flathead River and cut off that clean groundwater from encountering the waste source,” explained Superfund Project Manager Allie Archer. Gianforte expressed similar sentiments, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the river and commending the cleanup plan agreed upon with the EPA and DEQ.
Montana, home to nearly 20 federal Superfund sites, is witnessing progress on most sites, noted DEQ administrator Sonja Nowakowski.
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