MISSOULA – The last operators of Columbia Falls Aluminum say ARCO should be held responsible for the millions of dollars in cleanup costs for the CFAC Superfund site.
That claim is laid in a new federal lawsuit filed in US District Court in Missoula.
Two years ago, EPA listed the former CFAC site on its Superfund list, saying it will take a complete cleanup to remove fluoride, cyanide and other contaminants from the soil and water around the aluminum plant, which closed just short of a decade ago.
CFAC says in the suit that ARCO bears financial responsibility for the cleanup at the plant, which opened in 1955 and was owned by ARCO through mergers, starting in 1982.
The suit claims that bill is more than $7 million.
