diff --git a/bcda/service/alr.go b/bcda/service/alr.go
index 5eabd42e6..82e0e11db 100644
--- a/bcda/service/alr.go
+++ b/bcda/service/alr.go
@@ -6,14 +6,14 @@ import (
 	"github.com/CMSgov/bcda-app/bcda/models"
 )
 
-// Get the MBIs and put them into jobs
+// GetAlrJobs Get the MBIs and put them into jobs
 func (s *service) GetAlrJobs(ctx context.Context, alrMBI *models.AlrMBIs) []*models.JobAlrEnqueueArgs {
 
 	partition := int(s.alrMBIsPerJob)
 
 	loop := len(alrMBI.MBIS) / partition
 
-	bigJob := []*models.JobAlrEnqueueArgs{}
+	var bigJob []*models.JobAlrEnqueueArgs
 
 	for i := 0; i < loop; i++ {
 		bigJob = append(bigJob, &models.JobAlrEnqueueArgs{
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 90aff603d..1b0645244 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/Microsoft/go-winio v0.4.17-0.20210211115548-6eac466e5fa3 // indirect
 	github.com/bmizerany/perks v0.0.0-20141205001514-d9a9656a3a4b // indirect
 	github.com/c2h5oh/datasize v0.0.0-20200825124411-48ed595a09d2 // indirect
+	github.com/ccoveille/go-safecast v1.1.0 // indirect
 	github.com/cpuguy83/go-md2man/v2 v2.0.0 // indirect
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/denisenkom/go-mssqldb v0.9.0 // indirect
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 90016efc8..033249210 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -143,6 +143,8 @@ github.com/boombuler/barcode v1.0.0/go.mod h1:paBWMcWSl3LHKBqUq+rly7CNSldXjb2rDl
 github.com/buger/jsonparser v0.0.0-20200322175846-f7e751efca13/go.mod h1:tgcrVJ81GPSF0mz+0nu1Xaz0fazGPrmmJfJtxjbHhUQ=
 github.com/c2h5oh/datasize v0.0.0-20200825124411-48ed595a09d2 h1:t8KYCwSKsOEZBFELI4Pn/phbp38iJ1RRAkDFNin1aak=
 github.com/c2h5oh/datasize v0.0.0-20200825124411-48ed595a09d2/go.mod h1:S/7n9copUssQ56c7aAgHqftWO4LTf4xY6CGWt8Bc+3M=
+github.com/ccoveille/go-safecast v1.1.0 h1:iHKNWaZm+OznO7Eh6EljXPjGfGQsSfa6/sxPlIEKO+g=
+github.com/ccoveille/go-safecast v1.1.0/go.mod h1:QqwNjxQ7DAqY0C721OIO9InMk9zCwcsO7tnRuHytad8=
 github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.0.2/go.mod h1:eEew/i+1Q6OrCDZh3WiXYv3+nJwBASZ8Bog/87DQnVg=
 github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.1.3 h1:cFAlzYUlVYDysBEH2T5hyJZMh3+5+WCBvSnK6Q8UtC4=
 github.com/cenkalti/backoff/v4 v4.1.3/go.mod h1:scbssz8iZGpm3xbr14ovlUdkxfGXNInqkPWOWmG2CLw=
diff --git a/optout/local_file_handler.go b/optout/local_file_handler.go
index 9e27025b3..1c5220fd6 100644
--- a/optout/local_file_handler.go
+++ b/optout/local_file_handler.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package optout
 import (
 	"bufio"
 	"fmt"
+	"github.com/ccoveille/go-safecast"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"time"
@@ -53,7 +54,11 @@ func (handler *LocalFileHandler) getOptOutFileMetadata(suppresslist *[]*OptOutFi
 			handler.Logger.Errorf("Unknown file found: %s", metadata)
 			*skipped = *skipped + 1
 
-			deleteThreshold := time.Hour * time.Duration(handler.FileArchiveThresholdHr)
+			f, e, done := convertFileArchiveThreshold(handler)
+			if done {
+				return e
+			}
+			deleteThreshold := time.Hour * time.Duration(f)
 			if metadata.DeliveryDate.Add(deleteThreshold).Before(time.Now()) {
 				newpath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", handler.PendingDeletionDir, info.Name())
 				err = os.Rename(metadata.FilePath, newpath)
@@ -100,7 +105,12 @@ func (handler *LocalFileHandler) CleanupOptOutFiles(suppresslist []*OptOutFilena
 			// check the timestamp on the failed files
 			elapsed := time.Since(suppressionFile.DeliveryDate).Hours()
 
-			if int(elapsed) > int(handler.FileArchiveThresholdHr) {
+			f, err, done := convertFileArchiveThreshold(handler)
+			if done {
+				return err
+			}
+
+			if int(elapsed) > int(f) {
 				err := os.Rename(suppressionFile.FilePath, newpath)
 				if err != nil {
 					errCount++
@@ -131,3 +141,15 @@ func (handler *LocalFileHandler) CleanupOptOutFiles(suppresslist []*OptOutFilena
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func convertFileArchiveThreshold(handler *LocalFileHandler) (int64, error, bool) {
+	f, err := safecast.ToInt64(handler.FileArchiveThresholdHr)
+	if err != nil {
+		errmsg := fmt.Sprintf("error converting FileArchiveThresholdHr to int64: %v", handler.FileArchiveThresholdHr)
+		err = errors.Wrap(err, errmsg)
+		fmt.Println(errmsg)
+		handler.Logger.Error(err)
+		return 0, err, true
+	}
+	return f, nil, false
+}