Evaluating Superfund Effectiveness and Community Engagement: Smurfit-Stone Mill Case Study

Author

Abigail M. SherwoodFollow

Graduation Year

2024

Graduation Month

May

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

School or Department

Forestry and Conservation

Major

Environmental Science and Sustainability

Faculty Mentor Department

Forestry and Conservation, College of

Faculty Mentor

Brian Chaffin

Keywords

Superfund, environmental policy, community engagement, cleanup, EPA, restoration

Subject Categories

Environmental Health | Environmental Law

Abstract

The Smurfit-Stone Mill operated in Frenchtown, MT from 1957 until 2010, releasing toxic pollutants into the Clark Fork River and surrounding areas. Despite environmental protests since the 1960s, substantive action to remedy environmental damage did not occur until 2015. Stakeholders including local residents, Indigenous tribes, Missoula County, and environmental non-profits have advocated for comprehensive site characterization, a timely cleanup, and robust community engagement. While residents and visitors contend with elevated toxins in fish tissue, prompting a 100-mile fish consumption advisory near the Smurfit-Stone Mill, the Environmental Protection Agency is several years away from determining the scope of a reclamation. Community members and other stakeholders have expressed dissatisfaction with how their input has been integrated in the Superfund decision-making process. This paper provides an overview of Smurfit’s history, evaluates the Superfund process, and suggests future recommendations to more effectively clean contaminated sites. My proposal to improve the Superfund process includes: (1) implementing a tax on industrial corporations for post-operation cleanup of their site; (2) requiring businesses to maintain clean operations; (3) compensating Community Advisory Groups (CAGs); (4) ensuring that Potentially Responsible Parties do not influence site characterization; (5) mandating ecological restoration when feasible; and (6) requiring polluting firms' representatives to attend CAG meetings. These measures aim to enhance transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in industrial site remediation.

Honors College Research Project

1

GLI Capstone Project

no

Recommended Citation

Sherwood, Abigail M., "Evaluating Superfund Effectiveness and Community Engagement: Smurfit-Stone Mill Case Study" (2024). Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts. 522.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/utpp/522