The Site is located on U.S. Highway 2E, approximately two miles east of Columbia Falls in Section 15, T.30N., R.20W., in Flathead County, Montana. It is bounded on the north by Highway 2, on the west by a residential development Columbia Heights), on the south by electrical substations, on the northeast by an open storage yard, and on the immediate southeast by property. The Site is a wood treatment facility and consists of an office building, process building, garage, storage shed, portable outhouse, two aboveground storage tanks, and staging areas for green
wood and peeled posts. Active wood treatment operations are no longer occurring.
Description of Threat:
Pentachlorophenol (PCP), low-level dioxin, and associated/used total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) have contaminated the soils around the dip tanks, in the wood drying/storage areas of a former post and pole treatment area, and other dust suppressant areas. A Removal Action was conducted at the Site by the Potentially Responsible Parties (PRPs) in 1991 when they erected a fence around the contaminated areas of the Site and placed six inches of gravel over and around the stained areas of the Site.
At this time the fence is no longer present and the gravel capping has deteriorated to such an extent that there is substantial endangerment to
employees/trespassers and the surrounding environment, including the immediate residential area to the west of the Site. PCP has been detected in monitoring wells.
1. Removal actions to date
(Please refer to POLREP #1-6 for previous removal actions.)
A summary of activities at the Site since POLREP #6 includes the following:
< Conducted quarterly groundwater monitoring.
< Completed end-of-year site summary activity reports.
< Excavated approximately 11,500 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the North vat area and East pit area and segregated it into the repository pit for bioremediation.
< Completed restoration of excavated areas (vegetation, roads etc) to its original condition.
< Restored Land Treatment Unit (LTU) area to its original condition.
2. Next Steps
EPA has filed and received “Administrative Order 122(h)(1) Cash Out Agreement with institutional controls”. The Order specifies, in part, that the site will not be used for a gravel pit and/or other inappropriate functions, and that the “remedy produced” will remain protective at the property. Accordingly, this Removal is now considered complete.
Removal complete.
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