County still looking to fill job created by SB315

Lincoln County still must fill a job created by Senate Bill 315, which was passed in last year’s Montana legislative session to deal with aspects of Libby’s Superfund site.

A candidate recently offered the job turned it down when a request for $10,000 more in pay could not be met.

In addition to the job, the bill, sponsored by State Sen. Chas Vincent, establishes a five-person oversight committee and appropriates $600,000 per year for 10 years to cover operation and management costs of the Superfund site.

The job is a liaison to coordinate among county, state and federal agencies and to report to the oversight committee that was assembled last year and so far has met quarterly as stipulated. It is comprised of DEQ Director Tom Livers; County Commissioner Mark Peck; Rep. Steve Gunderson (Dist. 1); Sen. Chas Vincent (Dist. 1); and citizen George Jamison.

Though the county is tasked with finding someone to fill the position, the person will be a Libby-based employee of the DEQ. The bill stipulates that the County Commission will nominate three job candidates and the governor will make the final decision.

Reporting to the commissioners on June 13, Noah Pyle of the county’s Asbestos Resource Program said the DEQ told him it was unable “at this time” to either increase the pay of the job as classified or to reclassify the job to increase the pay.

Because “there was such a big difference between our number one and number two” candidates, Pyle said, “we thought it would be more prudent to re-advertise (the position).”

Commissioner Mark Peck said that the Environmental Quality Council, a state legislative committee, might consider legislation that would reclassify the position, “but we’d be looking at the (next) session before that got done.”

“In the meantime, we’ve got a legal obligation to get a name to the governor,” Peck said.