Stimson Lumber

Located in Bonner, this mill processed lumber from 1886 to 2008. Logs were floated down the Blackfoot River for milling. Processed lumber was then shipped to Butte to support the booming copper mining industry. The mill used a cooling pond that was built into the main channel of the Blackfoot River. In 2006, when the encroaching pond was being removed, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)  were discovered in the soils in the pond. As this encroachment was removed, more PCB contamination was discovered throughout the site.

Cleanup is ongoing and is being overseen by Montana DEQ through a process called Administrative Order on Consent in which responsible parties negotiate clean-up efforts with the Department of Environmental Quality voluntarily. The responsible party in this cleanup is Stimson Lumber Company. 

Learn about the history of the mill.

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