Pondera County discusses road agreement, third-party assessment with Calumet and Montana Renewables

Daniel Carlson opened discussion at the Feb. 29 special meeting by explaining how Calumet and Montana Renewables are connected and which entity has final say over responsibilities and liabilities. County officials pressed the companies on road impacts from proposed truck routes and Calumet agreed to fund a third-party assessment of county roads.

Road/Bridge Superintendent Frosty DeBoo requested a follow-up site review and asked to meet with Nathan Stortz to go over the route trucks would use. The minutes state that a draft Road Agreement will be constructed and reviewed by County Attorney Shari Lennon, with negotiations to continue until a final contract is agreed.

Participants at the special session included company representatives and county staff; the minutes do not record a formal vote on a contract, only agreement to proceed with assessment and drafting. The county indicated it will coordinate route review and include attorney review in forthcoming negotiations.