EPA closes Libby field office after 20 years
After overseeing more than 20 years of asbestos cleanup in Lincoln County, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials are closing their Libby field office.
Beth Archer, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, said the agency shuttered its Ninth Street information center on Oct. 23.
All told, EPA officials oversaw more than $500 million spent and over one million cubic yards of contaminated soil removed as part of cleanup operations. Excluding the former W.R. Grace vermiculite mine site, all operable units within the superfund site have undergone cleanup. EPA officials are still studying the mine site to determine the risk posed by the remaining asbestos. The agency expects to select a remedial plan for the area within the next few years. Every five years, EPA officials will also reevaluate each operable unit within the superfund site.
As most of the Libby Superfund Asbestos site transitions into a maintenance phase, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Lincoln County Asbestos Resource Program are set to take point in managing the site.
On July 1, oversight of residential and commercial properties in Libby and Troy was transferred from the EPA to the DEQ. After a nearly three month delay, DEQ officials received word that funding from the EPA for maintenance operations was forthcoming.
EPA officials have set aside nearly $12 million for operations and maintenance costs. As part of the 2008 W.R. Grace bankruptcy settlement, DEQ received over $5 million. Each year DEQ also receives $600,000 for cleanup and long-term maintenance costs. $120,000 of this yearly allowance automatically goes into a trust account — which had a balance of $1.3 million in September.
— The Western News
More COVID deaths reported in Lake County
The number of Lake County deaths attributed to COVID-19 complications reached seven last week, as of Nov. 3. Three deaths — all adult men — were reported between Thursday and Monday, and six of the county’s fatalities have been announced since Oct. 16.
The most recent death was that of a man in his 50s, according to Lake County Public Health. All others have been men in their 60s to 90s, and one woman in her 70s.
Some of the deaths are part of an outbreak, but most are unrelated, according to Emily Colomeda, health services director at Lake County Public Health. Additional details on the deaths are being withheld to protect the privacy of patients and their families.
Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said Tuesday that an outbreak at the county’s detention center had affected a total of seven inmates.
Many of Lake County’s cases have come in the 20-29 age group, according to data provided by Public Health. As of Oct. 31, the county had 679 cases, with approximately 110 among those age 20-29. The 40-49 and 50-59 age groups are the next highest.
— Lake County Leader
New physical therapy office opens in C-Falls
The new North Valley Physical Therapy office on Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls is now open.
The facility held a “drive-thru” open house with staff handing out treats to folks who visited. Because of coronavirus restrictions, the building was not open to the general public.
The nearly $1 million building will have a staff of seven, including therapists Stacy Doland, Saul Helgeson and Tanner Benedict, said manager Sid Neilson.
Work on the facility began in May in what was formerly a parking lot. Years ago, Melby’s Furniture occupied the lot.
The adjacent community center has been closed for months due to coronavirus concerns, though it has seen some renovations, including a new coat of paint.
The hospital hasn’t decided the future of the center at this point, said spokeswoman Riley Polumbus.
— Hungry Horse News
Whitefish ski resort gets high ranking
Whitefish Mountain Resort earned the third best resort in the West ranking from the annual SKI magazine readers poll for the upcoming season.
The magazine’s Resort Guide is the longest running and most comprehensive ski resort survey in the industry. It’s the second consecutive year Whitefish Mountain has taken the No. 3 spot and the fourth time it has been in the Top 10.
— Whitefish Pilot