Libby officials report renewed EPA engagement after meeting with Sen. Tester over decades-long groundwater contamination

Libby councilors said this week they have secured renewed engagement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after recent outreach that included U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s office.

At the meeting, Councilor Taylor and Councilor Kristen Smith described a Zoom call with Tester’s staff and subsequent contact from EPA. Councilors said they asked Tester’s office to press EPA to reengage International Paper and to revisit a technical waiver issued about 30 years ago for the lower groundwater aquifer, arguing that advances in remediation technology warrant a fresh review.

The council said EPA has begun assembling a team to meet with city officials and has asked follow-up background questions. Councilors further reported early discussions with natural resource damage (NRD) program representatives about whether an NRD request to International Paper could be pursued; councilors emphasized that any grant application and the distribution of settlement funds would be subject to government discretion and further negotiation.

Councilor Kristen Smith described the outreach to Tester’s office as “well received” and said the immediate result included EPA outreach. Mayor Williams and other councilors said the actions do not guarantee a faster cleanup, but they viewed renewed communication as a potentially helpful step after a long period of limited engagement.

What the city asked EPA to do includes pressing IP to return to negotiations, reviewing the decades-old technical waiver for the lower aquifer in light of newer technologies, and consulting the Office of Inspector General about the pace and timeline for remediation. Councilors warned that the process is likely to involve additional waiting and coordination, and they urged continued behind-the-scenes work while preparing to evaluate any NRD proposals.

Next steps: EPA will assemble a team to meet with city staff, and the council said it will continue outreach and follow up on any concrete proposals from EPA or NRD program representatives. No binding agreements or funding decisions were reported at the meeting.