GREAT FALLS — The Calumet Montana Refining facility in Great Falls began planned unit shutdown and maintenance activities last Monday (April 5).
A plant-wide evacuation training exercise will be conducted on Monday, April 12, at 12pm and again at 7:30pm. Community members may hear the whistle used in this drill, which is a single blast lasting 20 seconds. Calumet says there is no reason to be alarmed; this is only a drill and there is no emergency.
The company said in a news release that the planned activities are expected to last up to three weeks. The shutdown and startup activities will cause periods of flaring.
There will be increased traffic on Smelter Avenue near the former Westgate Mall property as contractors perform work at the facility around the clock. This traffic will be especially noticeable around 6am and 6pm.
