Aluminum Co. announces closure

The Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. will cease operations and release 88 employees on Oct. 31, a company official announced Oct. 21.

"We're hoping this is a temporary condition," said Haley Beaudry, CFAC's external affairs manager.

Beaudry said the company and the Bonneville Power Administration could not reach agreement on power rates.

"But we're still working on it," he said.

Even if the two parties signed a contract today, Beaudry said the plant no longer has the raw materials to operate. Producing aluminum is a continuous process — the power is never shut off, and it needs a constant flow of raw materials.