Missoula County approves bond resolution to finish toxic cleanup at Bonner mill

In an effort to complete the lingering cleanup of toxic materials at the Bonner mill site, Missoula County will turn to a low-interest bond to cover the project's remaining costs.

Commissioners last week approved a bond resolution authorizing the sale of $2.7 million in tax increment from the Bonner industrial district, which was created in 2017. The bonds will be repaid at 2.4% interest over 10 years and won't extend the life of the tax increment district.

“This project absolutely needs to be done,” said Commissioner Josh Slotnick. “Once it's done and a new business is there, this will be an investment we'll get some rewards from. It'll just take a little while.”

The three-acre site, now owned by Bonner Property Development LLC, contains soil and debris contaminated with petroleum compounds and polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, once used at the former Stimson lumber mill.

The original $3 million bid to clean the site covered the cost of removing 60,000 tons of waste and included an additional 10,000 tons as a contingency. But shortly after cleanup began, more than 70,000 tons of waste had been carted to the landfill.

Last November, commissioners increased their “do-not-exceed” amount from the original $3 million to $3.9 million. It also extended the completion date to this summer.

“It's more labor and more tonnage than was originally anticipated,” said Emily Brock, the county's director of economic and land development. “It should be wrapped up by July of this year. Hopefully we'll see something built on it and increment come from that.”

Brock said the proceeds from the bond will help cover the full cleanup cost. Once done, the work will prepare the site for another use. That will effectively bring new jobs and business to the industrial park, and more tax increment to the district.

“There is tremendous demand in the Bonner mill-site district for space to work,” Brock said. “We're hopeful that once where there was contaminated material there will soon be a business.”