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Butte, Montana
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November 21, 2025
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View of headframes in Butte, Montana
Corridor Project Updates
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Grove Gulch Construction: The Grove Gulch project is nearly complete with final vegetation work taking place this fall. When finished, this project will capture potentially contaminated sediments carried by stormwater and prevent them from reaching and contaminating surface waters like Blacktail Creek.
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Diggings East: AR has submitted the 95% design of the Diggings East project to EPA and DEQ for review, and EPA/DEQ provided comments in mid-November. This project, one of the larger projects planned in the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit corridor, will feature lined stormwater basins that will capture and help to prevent contaminated stormwater and sediments from reaching surface water bodies like Silver Bow Creek. These stormwater basins will be designed with natural features and vegetation to blend in with the surrounding landscape and provide a pleasant community amenity. The designs also feature publicly accessible trails and boardwalks.
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Summer by the Numbers
Montana’s summers may be short, but crews take advantage of the weather and longer days by making progress on cleanup efforts, tackling operations and maintenance activities, and sampling yards and properties for lead contamination. Take a look at the progress made and interesting statistics about Butte:
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514: number of residences that had their soil sampled through the RMAP between April and August
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5,355’ above sea level: water level of the Berkeley Pit
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5,670: cubic yards of material removed and placed in the mine waste repository as part of the Butte Reduction Works Interim Demolition. (For comparison: a pickup truck holds about 2 cubic yards of material in its bed.)
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One acre-foot: the capacity of the stormwater sedimentation bay at Grove Gulch
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9,500: the number of wetland plugs (essentially, vegetation starts) that were planted by hand at Grove Gulch in August
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EPA Headquarters Releases New Lead Directive
On October 16, 2025, EPA issued a directive providing updated guidance and establishing a new approach to accelerate cleanup of lead contaminated soil on residential properties at CERCLA (also known as Superfund) sites and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act hazardous waste cleanup facilities. Please follow the link below to read the new Directive and the press release. We are evaluating the Directive's impacts on this site, and the team will continue to collect and use site-specific information and community input to make decisions.
The EPA site team will host a community meeting in Butte in January 2026 to announce timelines and next steps for implementation of the new Directive. More information about this winter's community meeting will be shared as soon as the date is finalized.
Sixth Five-Year Review Underway
Every five years, EPA evaluates Superfund cleanups to make sure they remain protective or will be protective when complete. The sixth five-year review (FYR) for the Silver Bow Creek / Butte Area Superfund Site is due in fall 2026. Work on the FYR began in October with site inspections and community interviews. If you are interested in participating in a community interview for publication in the completed FYR, please reach out to Mackenzie Meter (meter.mackenzie@epa.gov) for more information.
Remedial Design / Remedial Action Progress Meetings
Remedial Design / Remedial Action (RDRA) Progress Meetings are available for public observation. With some exceptions to accommodate holidays and schedules, these meetings are generally held the third Tuesday of the month at 9 am. Reminders and Zoom links are provided to the Butte listserv one week before the meeting. These email reminders now include short updates from the previous month’s RD/RA Progress meeting. In addition, joining information is always available via the Community Engagement Calendar on epa.gov/butte.
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Free Blood-Lead Testing and Residential Lead Sampling
Did you know? Butte-Silver Bow (BSB) offers free blood-lead sampling for County residents. Call BSB’s Environmental Health Nurse, Kayla Harvey, BSN, RN, at 406-497-5003.
If you’d like your home or yard sampled for lead, arsenic, and mercury, or would like to check and see if your property has been previously investigated, please contact BSB’s Residential Metals Abatement Program (RMAP) at 406-497-5040.
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 Community Outreach
The EPA site team has participated in several community-focused engagements this summer with more projected throughout fall. From Butte-Silver Bow County Health’s first annual Health Fair to back-to-school tabling at Emerson Elementary School, the site team has enjoyed each interaction and the opportunity to provide information to the community about accessing resources and how to stay safe around contamination. Thank you to the community groups, Butte-Silver Bow Health Department, school administrators, and everyone who has helped coordinate these important community engagements.
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Resources for Families, Daycare Providers, and More
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and Butte-Silver Bow County offer numerous resources for reducing exposure to lead and addressing health concerns.
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Butte-Silver Bow’s Residential Metals Abatement Program (RMAP) offers free soil and interior dust sampling as well as free yard and attic dust cleanups for qualifying properties. Please call 406-797-5040 for more information.
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Free blood-lead testing is available to Butte-Silver Bow County residents through the health department. Please call Kayla Harvey, BSN, RN, at 406-497-5003 for more information or to schedule an appointment.
- Montana DPHHS offers environmental assessments, screenings, and other resources for daycare providers and childcare facilities through their “Choose Safe Places” program. More information is available on dphhs.mt.gov.
Please note: replies to this email are sent to an unmonitored inbox. Please email meter.mackenzie@epa.gov with questions or for more information.
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