On October 15, 2012, CTEC sent the following letter to the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department and numerous EPA officials requesting public test data on arsenic and lead exposure in the Butte area, with the intention of using that data to…

The Montana Natural Resource Damages Program (NRDP), which manages restoration funding for the Clark Fork Basin obtained through a lawsuit against the Atlantic Richfield Co. (BP-ARCO), is currently seeking public comments on the draft Butte Area One Restoration Plan. The…

Do you live or own property in Uptown/Central Butte or the surrounding area? Then you are eligible to have your home tested for heavy metals. If you live in a home or apartment built before 2006 in Uptown/Central Butte, your…

There are nine EPA evaluation criteria used to determine a cleanup option. The first two of these criteria have absolute weight, meaning that the others are considered only after these first two have been met. Threshold Criteria (must be met):…

Yes, and no. The decision process can be very involved, and there are avenues for legal recourse, so it is difficult to be black and white in describing the finality of the EPA’s decision. Superfund issues are often decided by…

Absolutely. The Superfund process allows for public input through scheduled meetings at critical points in the process, but anyone can write letters or e-mail the EPA and their state Governor and legislators at any point. Comments sent to the EPA…

Superfund decisions in Butte and western Montana have historically been reached only after lengthy deliberations between EPA, the Potentially Responsible Parties for the cleanup, Butte-Silver Bow local government, and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and other state agencies. For…