What is the Health Study? Under an EPA Superfund order Butte Silver Bow County (BSB) shares responsibility with Atlantic Richfield (AR) for developing work plans and conducting public health studies every five years over the next 30 years. The…

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 Butte Silver Bow Health Department has released the draft of the Health Studies Work Plan required by the Unilateral Administrative Order under the EPA Superfund program. This document includes a plan for both Superfund and Non-Superfund proposals to the…

PUBLIC FORUM EPA COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PLAN For Butte Superfund Sites When:   September 5, 2012 (Wednesday) Where:  Butte Public Library, 226 West Broadway Street Time:     6:30-8:00 PM CTEC (Citizen’s Technical Environmental Committee) is sponsoring a public forum to be held at the…

The analysis of alternatives under review shall reflect the scope and complexity of site problems and alternatives being evaluated and consider the relative significance of the factors within each criteria: (A) Overall protection of human health and the environment. Alternatives…

EPA offers the following definition of Operable Unit: During cleanup, a site can be divided into a number of distinct areas depending on the complexity of the problems associated with the site. These areas called operable units may address geographic…

The Superfund process works best when the public communicates with agencies responsible for overseeing the technical and decision making process. The following individuals work on the Butte-area Superfund sites. If you have a concern or comment, citizens should feel free…

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):…

If the EPA sues the responsible party for noncompliance and wins, the responsible party can be held accountable for treble damages – an amount equaling three times that of the projected cost of the EPA-selected cleanup for the site, plus…

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…