Arlee Head Start reopens, more meth found
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RONAN — Arlee Head Start has reopened after being closed for more than a month because of low-level meth contamination, though testing indicates there may be additional contamination in the community.
The early education facility that serves 38 students was closed in mid-February after a meth pipe was found in the building. Testing indicated very low levels of contamination that required remediation.
The cleanup process is estimated to have cost approximately $50,000, according to Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes spokesman Robert McDonald said. Lost in the process was anything that was porous, including a collection of books that took 40 years to amass.
“When it became clear meth was a concern in the community, our leaders decided to go forward with more testing,” McDonald said.
The immersion school, community center, and health clinic in Arlee tested negative for contamination, but an initial screening of the senior center tested positive for methamphetamine.
“Staff closed down the building,” McDonald said. “We’re aware this test sometimes produces false positives, but part of our protocol is to send it for additional testing. If it comes back positive again, we will plan our clean up plan.”
The center was closed last week, and McDonald did not know how long it would take for the test results to come in.
McDonald said the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are taking a stance against meth usage in the community by holding community meetings and training sessions.
“It all points to how our community is responding to this threat,” McDonald said. “We’re trying to get ahead of it, we’re trying to be progressive.”
