[Craig Sweet]

Anaconda/Deer Lodge County is holding public hearings on a proposed agreement with Atlantic-Richfield to fund, and maintain, Old Works for the next 25 years. My understanding is at the completion of the 25 years ARCO would walk away free of any future obligations or liabilities.


Old Works has been losing money for years.  Without huge infusions of funds from ARCO it would have closed years ago. The #1 problem is too few rounds played, little support (members) locally, and a short season. Under this agreement ARCO will give Old Works $350,000 a year for the next three years, and $250,000 a year from years four thru 25

https://www.adlc.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=32

[Tom_Doak]

Craig:


As a Montana resident, what do you think of the deal?


I know much of the cleanup was a Superfund site, which I think means that the Feds paid for it, not ARCO, right?  They sold the town on building the course to generate tourism revenue and rehabilitating the site, but there was always the question of whether it would support itself.


The course is good enough to hold up its end.  I don't know the history well enough to know how much Arco should pay for.  But it seems to me the deal would be better structured as a lump sum endowment than the course can use to subsidize itself long term, instead of a 25-year allowance that depends on Arco's continued participation.

[Craig Sweet]

Tom, I now live in Anaconda. My understanding is the course was an option. Clean up the mess for $125 million, or cap the land and build a course for $25 million.  ARCO, as far as I know had to foot the entire bill, just as they do to this day with any remediation. The Superfund site is essentially the entire county and there is still plenty of remediation to be done.  ARCO isn't going anywhere any time soon 


The course is good, but local play is thin. Old Works does less than 20,000 rounds...probably closer to 15,000 a season. That is not enough to sustain a quality golf course that sells seasonal memberships for around $900 and charges $55 a round with cart. 


People tell me without this agreement the course will no longer exist.


I have lived here for just about a year. I am still learning the extent of ARCO's power and control over what happens in this town.  You practically have to sign off with ARCO if you want to dig a hole in the ground. They fear liability.  ARCO will remediate my lawn...front, side yard, back yard, boulivard, dig down 18" and remove the soil...haul in new soil and sod my yard for free. I sign a 30 page document that says they are no longer liable...Living on a superfund site is interesting!

[Bill Seitz]

ARCO will remediate my lawn...front, side yard, back yard, boulivard, dig down 18" and remove the soil...haul in new soil and sod my yard for free. I sign a 30 page document that says they are no longer liable...Living on a superfund site is interesting!

Sheesh, I bought new construction in Chicago three and a half years ago and had to pay three grand for someone to rip up sod and soil 4 inches down and pull up all the bricks, masonry, rubber mats, plywood, coke bottles, siding, and circular saw blades that the builders saw fit to throw into the garbage dump that became my front and back yards.


Hoping for the best for Old Works, Craig.  My grandmother was born and raised in Butte before eventually moving east to Sidney (where my dad was born and raised).  My great grandfather died in a mine fire there about 120 years ago.  We took a family trip back there about 20 years ago and I had a chance to play Old Works (and Eagle Bend eventually), and absolutely loved it.  I remember reading somewhere that after building the golf course, the water in Warm Springs Creek actually leaves the course cleaner than it enters.  I thought the slag bunkers played great (better than black sand bunkers at Hawktree, actually). 

[Kalen Braley]

This sounds like a tough gig all around.  Remote location, short season, and most of the I-90 thru traffic probably doesn't even know its there.  I guess i'm just as guilty having driven thru there at least 25-30 times over the years and never taking the time to play it.

Sounds like its at the mercy/whims of ARCO...

P.S.  Craig I didn't realize the cleanup area extends into town, figured it was just where the course is now...

[Craig Sweet]

"P.S.  Craig I didn't realize the cleanup area extends into town, figured it was just where the course is now..."

[/size]Kalen, apparently the first stack they built wasn't very tall, and the arsenic, lead, and other nasty things in the soot, was landing all over town, and messing with mamas laundry drying on the line. So they built it taller....over 600ft tall!  That simply spread the toxic smoke farther afield....I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't the largest Superfund site in America. A lot of the town has been remediated, but plenty left to do!    Next time you're out this way give me a shout and maybe we can get a game in.
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