COLUMBIA FALLS — Governor Greg Gianforte and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin toured the Columbia Falls Aluminum Company Superfund site Thursday as officials reviewed cleanup plans for the Flathead Valley property.
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The Columbia Falls Aluminum Company operated in the Flathead Valley for decades, leaving behind a significant environmental footprint.
EPA CFAC Superfund Project Manager Allie Archer said the site's history spans more than half a century.
"CFAC operated for over 50 years and it converted alumina into aluminum and through that process, created hazardous waste that was deposited on-site in waste management areas," Archer said.
In July 2026, CFAC agreed to pay $57 million for cleanup of the Superfund site, according to the EPA.
Gianforte toured the site Thursday to see the progress firsthand.
"I think all Montanans have a commitment to a clean environment, in fact our constitution guarantees it. The work that has been going on here at the CFAC plant is going to prevent contamination in the Flathead River and return this land to productive use," Gianforte said.
The cleanup plan includes four components: soil remediation, lining the Cedar Creek overflow ditch, monitoring, and installation of a slurry wall to address groundwater contamination.
Archer explained how the slurry wall will protect the surrounding area.
"We're going to do that by installing a fully encompassing slurry wall around the waste management areas and eliminating clean ground water from contacting that contaminated material," Archer said.
Archer said the full cleanup will take several more years, with the slurry wall expected to be completed in 2029.
"Right now we're looking at about a year of finalizing our remedial designs were concurrently doing remedial action so we're going to finalize some of that soil remediation in Cedar Creek this year, but the slurry wall should be completed in 2029," Archer said.
For Gianforte, the CFAC cleanup is part of a broader effort to address environmental contamination across Montana.
"We have about 20 superfund sites across the state and through collaboration with the Trump administration and administrator Zeldin who make the commitment to be here today, were making incredible progress," Gianforte said.
