Seeley sewer money advances to final US House vote

Funding for a Seeley Lake sewer system got one vote closer to reality after the U.S. House Appropriations Committee approved its Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act on Wednesday.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, who sits on the committee, earmarked $10 million for Seeley Lake’s sewer system, which proponents of the project say is needed because of widespread nitrate contamination from septic systems.

In total, Zinke requested $20 million of federal dollars for seven Montana rural infrastructure projects, with the Seeley Lake sewer as the largest expense.

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In Zinke’s request for funding, he cited the closure of Pyramid Mountain Lumber, which shuttered because a lack housing in the area led to a lack of employees. 

“The town of Seeley Lake is very rural and unable to build additional housing because it does not have a municipal (waste) water system to support additional housing and the existing septic system is at capacity and contaminating the groundwater,” the request said. “Building a (waste) water system will allow developers to invest in affordable, workforce housing to support reopening the mill and growing jobs and economic activity in the region.”

The community of Seeley Lake has

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