News Release
Governor Martz Announces Progress with Milltown Dam
5/7/2004
Kris Goss
406-444-3862
kgoss@state.mt.us
CLEANUP
HELENA - Governor Judy Martz announced today that NorthWestern
Corporation,
the Atlantic Richfield Company, the United States of America, on behalf
of
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of the
Interior,
the State of Montana, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
have
filed
an agreement with a Delaware bankruptcy court that NorthWestern will pay
$11.4
million and transfer certain property rights for remediation and
restoration
at the Milltown Dam and Reservoir.
"This is very encouraging news for the residents of Montana and the
Clark
Fork
drainage," Governor Martz stated. "It has been over a year since I
placed
the focus
on my office on removing the Milltown Dam and restoring the river. I
want
to thank
all of those that worked so hard to take this critical step forward in
making sure
future generations have a clean and safe river to enjoy."
Under the Stipulation filed with the court today in conjunction with the
State
of Montana's Objections to NorthWestern Corporation's Disclosure
Statement.
The Stipulation is subject to bankruptcy court approval.
As a result of the stipulation NWC has agreed to the following:
* NWC will reserve $3.9 million for payment to Montana for restoration
work at
the Milltown site.
* NWC is offering a conditional transfer of land and water rights at
the
Milltown site to the State or a designee for restoration purposes.
* NWC will complete a land exchange agreement signed prior to filing
bankruptcy,
which turns over a 7-mile stretch of river front property in Alberton
Gorge
to the
Five Valleys Land Trust.
* NWC will reserve an additional $7.5 million to pay ARCO for
remediation costs
that EPA and the State are requiring at the site for dam and sediment
removal.
Many of the procedural steps can be completed in 2004 and work could
begin
in 2005
with dam removal beginning in 2006.
###
