Editorial: A new day on the horizon for Aluminum City

The expansive site at the base of Teakettle Mountain that once housed the economic engine of Columbia Falls is finally poised for its next chapter.

Last week, the Environmental Protection Agency struck an agreement with Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. for cleanup of the Superfund site where toxic materials had leached into the groundwater. Under the proposed terms, the company will pay $57.6 million to facilitate construction of a slurry wall designed to contain the primary source of groundwater contamination.

The landmark agreement has been a long time coming and marks a turning point for the industrial property and nearby land known as Aluminum City.

The Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. plant, initially owned by Anaconda Copper Mining Co., opened in 1955 along the Flathead River. During its first year, 67,500 tons of aluminum were produced from the plant’s two potlines using a reduction process to convert alumina into molten aluminum. The plant later added three more potlines. At the height of its success, the operation produced 180,000 tons of aluminum annually, employed more than 1,200 people and served as a source of community pride.

Atlantic Richfield Co. took ownership in 1985, and the plant was acquired by Glencore International in 1999. A decade later, the entire operation was shuttered amid dire market conditions and permanently closed in 2015. A Superfund site designation followed a year later.

Finalizing a cleanup plan was a slog that played out over the last 10 years. How best to deal with the hazardous materials and keep them away from the Flathead River spurred passionate debate, and it wasn’t until last year that the EPA reached a record of decision.

Meanwhile, corporate and federal attorneys grappled with financial obligations.

Last week’s breakthrough agreement between the EPA and Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. was the last obstacle in the way of cleanup.

The focus should now shift to remediation and eventual redevelopment of the storied site that helped define Columbia Falls for more than half a century.

Developer Mick Ruis has ambitious plans for the riverfront property, including a 400-unit subdivision east of the plant that has already been deemed safe for residential development. Business redevelopment at the main plant site is a strong possibility following cleanup, given the property’s proximity to power and rail infrastructure.

It’s been a long and difficult road, but Aluminum City’s next chapter is finally within reach. The site is poised to once again become a cornerstone of Columbia Falls’ future.