HELENA—The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is pleased to announce that Flathead County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) was provided a no further action (NFA) letter on June 8, 2021, for their efforts in addressing the petroleum and hazardous substances at the CHS Grain Elevator Brownfields site in Kalispell, located in Flathead County, Mont.
Following the transition of rail services from the Downtown Kalispell Core Area to the Glacier Rail Park, FCEDA purchased two anchor sites from CHS Inc., the former Grain Elevator property on the west end of the rail corridor and the former CHS Agronomy site on the east end. Anticipating the future transformation of the Downtown Kalispell Core Area, the City of Kalispell and EPA’s Brownfields programs assisted FCEDA by performing Environmental Site Assessments on the Grain Elevator property. The assessments found asbestos and lead based paint in onsite buildings and petroleum and pesticides in soils. In response, FCEDA and CHS provided funding to properly address the hazardous building materials and contaminated soil. This collaborative Brownfields assistance allowed FCEDA to complete abatement, demolition and cleanup activities between January and April of 2021 that will allow for future residential and commercial uses of the property. A total of 710 tons of contaminated soil was hauled to the Flathead County landfill for disposal.
Brandon Kingsbury, DEQ petroleum brownfields coordinator, commends the effort and cooperation exhibited by FCEDA. “FCEDA’s commitment to the assessment and cleanup of the former grain and bulk storage facility has brought this vital anchor property from industrial use to mixed residential and commercial use. This transformation will add synergy to a blossoming and vibrant downtown Kalispell.”
The Montana DEQ Brownfields Program works collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to address hazardous substance and petroleum sites across Montana that can be reused or redeveloped once cleanup is complete. The program provides both technical and financial expertise on the assessment and cleanup of Brownfields properties, as well as grant writing assistance, outreach and workshops for interested communities. More information on the DEQ Brownfields Program can be found at: http://deq.mt.gov/Land/Brownfields
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