New monitoring wells drilled around the Holland Lake Wastewater System showed the two sewage lagoons have not contaminated groundwater, according to both the Forest Service and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
Testing at the site started after DEQ engineers reported the wastewater system was leaking at more than 140 times the legal limit, or roughly 50,000 gallons of wastewater in one week.
The state then issued a violation letter to Flathead National Forest, requiring monitoring wells, a new design and a rebuild of the two-cell lagoons. Surface water testing on Holland Lake also showed no signs of contamination, according to DEQ spokesperson Moira Davin.
Davin told the Pathfinder that the Forest Service has ceased all discharge of waste, monitored the lagoons on a semi-weekly basis, provided requested information to DEQ, sampled the primary ponds and storage ponds, and installed and sampled monitoring wells.
The Forest Service still has other requirements to complete until it becomes compliant, including installing a new liner and approving the new designs through a process with DEQ and Missoula County.
“We are currently negotiating with a consultant to produce that [engineering] report,” said Kira Powell, spokesperson for Flathead National Forest. “We are moving forward as quickly as possible.”
Not everyone agrees however, as the advocacy group Save Holland Lake said the results should be fully released to prove there is no contamination.
“From our discussions with the FNF and the state Department of Environmental Quality, we believe the release to not be an entirely accurate representation – unless we misunderstood our conversations,” Save Holland Lake spokesperson David Roberts said in a press release.
Roberts said he discussed the testing with the Forest Service on Dec.13 and was told results had just been received. The summary of results indicated elevated nitrogen was found in all three test wells, but below allowable trigger levels for violations under the federal Clean Water Act, the press release said.
The Pathfinder has asked the Montana DEQ to provide a copy of the monitoring well results.
The Holland Lake Wastewater System first came into question by the Save Holland Lake group, which made a formal complaint to DEQ earlier this year. Engineers from DEQ did an initial assessment of the lagoons in the summer, and found it was likely the lagoons were leaking.
A public records request by Save Holland Lake uncovered photos of Forest Service employees repairing large cracks in the liner of the lagoons in 2022. The cracks in in the liner were repaired over the next month
It is illegal to make repairs to a lagoon without first obtaining a permit from the county, according to Missoula County code. The Missoula Public Health Department said in a September letter that the Forest Service must get a retroactive permit to operate the system going forward.
To reopen the lagoon, Davin said the Forest Service must get its new engineering designs built and approved through the proper regulations. There is still a possibility of litigation, Davin said.
“Additional enforcement may include further corrective actions and penalty for the violation(s) that occurred,” Davin said.
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