Superfund Sites in Reuse in Montana

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ACM Smelter and Refinery

The 427-acre ACM Smelter and Refinery Superfund site is in Cascade County, Montana, next to the unincorporated community of Black Eagle. In 1892, the Boston & Montana Consolidated Copper and Silver Mining Company built the first smelter at the site. Operations to concentrate, smelt and refine ore began in 1893. Electrolytic and furnace refineries were also on site. In 1910, Anaconda Copper Mining Company acquired the property. Zinc smelting and refining activities continued until the early 1970s. In 1977, Atlantic Richfield Company (AR) bought the property. Copper refining continued until the plant closed in 1980. Operations contaminated soil, groundwater and surface water around the site. AR led a voluntary cleanup of the facility in the 1990s. The state of Montana requested that EPA lead a site investigation in 2002. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2011. Investigation and cleanup activities are ongoing. Investigations have included sampling in residential yards and along the abandoned railroad. A removal action in 2011 cleared the way for a new residential subdivision in Black Eagle. A removal action in 2020 removed contaminated soil in advance of efforts by the local water and sewer district to replace aging water and sewer lines. Current site uses include a recycling center, a golf course and a park with sports fields. It also provides wildlife habitat. The community is interested in locating a multi-use trail at the site.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 10 people and generated an estimated $1,960,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Anaconda Aluminum Co Columbia Falls Reduction Plant

The 960-acre Anaconda Aluminum Co Columbia Falls Reduction Plant Superfund site is in Columbia Falls, Montana. Aluminum reduction took place on site from 1955 to 2009. The plant stopped operating due to poor economic conditions for aluminum reduction. Disposal of spent potliner and other wastes at the site contaminated groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2016. The Columbia Falls Aluminum Company is investigating the contamination and looking at options for cleanup. Partial demolition of the plant began in 2015 and finished in 2019. The remaining buildings and site areas are unused, except for an industrial landfill. The site owner completed a time-critical removal action in fall 2020, removing contaminated sediments from the Flathead River floodplain. Public services on site include a Bonneville Power Administration rectifier yard and switchyard and a Burlington Northern rail line. The site owner is marketing the former plant area for commercial and industrial development after the completion of cleanup. Anglers frequent the Flathead River, which received contaminated groundwater discharge from the site and is being evaluated as part of a baseline ecological risk assessment. The river is a fishery that is home to federally recognized endangered fish species such as bull trout and cutthroat trout.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Anaconda Co. Smelter

Paved walking trail through open grassy fields on the Anaconda Co Smelter site.
Anaconda Co. Smelter

The Anaconda Co. Smelter Superfund site is a former copper smelter in southwest Montana. It includes the towns of Anaconda and Opportunity. From 1884 to 1980, the smelter was the cornerstone of the local economy. It closed in 1980. It left behind more than 300 square miles of soil and water contaminated with heavy metals. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. EPA worked with the community, Atlantic Richfield (AR) (owners of the former smelting facility), the state of Montana and Anaconda-Deer Lodge County to clean up the site and support its redevelopment. In 1994, AR began turning 250 acres of the site into a 21-hole golf course. The course combines the remedy with landscaping and preservation of historic mining artifacts. The golf course opened to the public in 1997. Dozens of new commercial developments are now on site. They include a natural gas power plant, a regional prison and an education center for the disabled. Cleanup also addressed homes and commercial properties in Anaconda, Opportunity and adjacent areas. Cleanup activities to address arsenic contamination at residential and commercial properties began in 2003. EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) supported a reuse assessment project at the site in 2005. Cleanup to address lead contamination began in 2015. To date, AR has cleaned up more than 1,600 residential and commercial properties. More than 3000 acres of agricultural land was restored to wetlands and comprise the largest wetland habitat in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin. There are also 550 acres of constructed wetlands in the opportunity ponds areas and thousands of acres of former waste disposal sites have been capped. These areas now provide wildlife habitat, including thousands of acres of wetlands. The remedy has also made 30 million cubic yards of slag material available for reuse. A slag reuse operation provides material for use as abrasives, roofing material and cement. Construction of Mill Creek Generating Station, a natural gas-fired electricity generation facility, finished in 2010. The original smelter stack is on the National Register of Historic Places and attracts visitors to Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park. In 2021, construction of a $10 million hotel and convention center was completed and a 45,000-square-foot retail store opened in 2023. A sitewide consent decree defining remaining work became effective in February 2023.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 209 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 1,660 people and generated an estimated $211,153,205 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Barker Hughesville Mining District

The 6,000-acre Barker Hughesville Mining District Superfund site is in Judith Basin County and Cascade County in west-central Montana. In 1879, miners found rich silver and lead ores in the area. Mining took place through the 1940s. Mining activities and abandoned mines contaminated soil, sediment, groundwater, and surface water. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2001. To date, EPA and the mining company, Doe Run Resources, have completed several short-term cleanups. EPA is developing a long-term cleanup plan. In 2015, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the U.S. Forest Service placed a fish barrier in Dry Fork Belt Creek as part of an effort to restore native west slope cutthroat trout in the watershed. Doe Run Resources will continue to clean up groundwater and surface water and sample sediments. From 2016 to 2019, Doe Run Resources backfilled several underground mine areas and put in stormwater drainage systems. The federal government administers about 88% of the land area at the site as public land. Continued site uses include residential, recreational, agricultural and commercial areas. In the 1960s, the U.S. military built a missile silo at the site. In 2012, the military extended a fiber-optic cable along Dry Fork Belt Creek on site and Northwestern Energy is burying all electrical lines in the site in 2023.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business.  EPA did not have further economic details related to this business. For additional information click here.

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Basin Mining Area

The Basin Mining Area Superfund site covers about 77 square miles in Jefferson County, Montana. It includes the town of Basin and about 300 mine sites in the surrounding watersheds of Basin Creek, Cataract Creek and the Boulder River. From the 1870s to the late 1950s, hard-rock mining operations generated waste rock and tailings at the site. Heavy metals from the waste rock and tailings contaminated surface water, soil, sediment, groundwater, air and biota. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1999. EPA dug up and disposed of contaminated residential soil and mine waste. EPA also backfilled and revegetated contaminated areas. Cleanup in the town of Basin finished in fall 2004. Land uses in Basin include neighborhoods, commercial areas, public services, and ecological and recreation areas. Cleanup of mine sites in surrounding watersheds is ongoing.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 11 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 54 people and generated an estimated $860,093 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Billings PCE

The Billings PCE Superfund site is northeast of downtown Billings, Montana. Several dry-cleaning operations in the area improperly disposed of tetrachloroethylene (PCE). This created a plume of contaminated groundwater that extends about 3 miles through neighborhoods and into downtown Billings. EPA has led short-term actions to remove contaminated soil, reduce and contain the groundwater contamination, and address indoor air contamination. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2019 and has conducted multiple rounds of groundwater and indoor air sampling to date. EPA will expand investigations to identify homes that may need systems to reduce the threat of exposure to indoor air contamination. EPA continues to work with the real estate community, Billings Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Alliance to help facilitate sale of residential and commercial properties that are within the 900-acre study area.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 6 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 19 people and generated an estimated $1,043,126 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Burlington Northern (Somers Plant)

The 80-acre Burlington Northern (Somers Plant) site is in Somers, Flathead County, Montana. From 1901 to 1986, industrial operations on site included chemical treatment of railroad ties and other lumber products. These activities contaminated beach sediments about 150 feet into Flathead Lake as well as soil and groundwater. Cleanup included soil and groundwater treatment and replacement of wetlands. It also included a natural resource damages settlement. BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) completed wetland restoration at the Swamp Pond and acquired 7.5 acres of wetlands near the Waterfowl Production Area on Flathead Lake as part of the remedial action. BNSF also conveyed a perpetual wetland reserve easement to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. BNSF bought residential properties on the site and demolished structures. Aside from structures related to cleanup, this area remains vacant. In 2022, the state put in an offshore gravel beach to prevent erosion along the north shore of Flathead Lake adjacent to BNSF shoreline property. This beach is also open for recreational use. 
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Burlington Northern Livingston Shop Complex

The 90-acre Burlington Northern Livingston Shop Complex site is located mostly in Livingston, Montana. In 1883, the Northern Pacific Railroad built a rail yard at the site. By the early 1900s, the rail yard had expanded to include a passenger depot, machine shops, a turntable, a roundhouse and a powerhouse. Historical rail-yard operations, including waste treatment, storage and disposal practices, contaminated soil and groundwater. The site includes an area of groundwater contamination about 2 miles long and a half-mile wide. Facility operations ceased in 1986. Operations resumed a year later when Montana Rail Link (MRL) bought part of the site. MRL currently operates a rail yard on site. The facility includes locomotive and rail car repair and maintenance shops. Residential uses are located above the groundwater contaminant plume. Commercial businesses, including restaurants and a car dealership, are also on site. Burlington Northern Railroad (now the BNSF Railway Company, or BNSF) began cleanup activities in 1988. Following cleanup, operation and maintenance activities are ongoing. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality oversees cleanup and addresses the facility as a state Superfund site. BNSF uses green remediation practices as part of cleanup. This effort includes using bacteria to help break down remaining shallow and deep groundwater contamination.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 16 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 117 people and generated an estimated $16,921,115 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Carpenter Snow Creek Mining District

The 9,000-acre Carpenter Snow Creek Mining District Superfund site includes about 96 abandoned mines in the Little Belt Mountains of Cascade County, Montana. Most of the site is in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. From 1882 to 1929, operators of the Neihart Mining District mined zinc and lead ore containing high concentrations of silver. Mining activities ceased after World War II. Mineral extraction and processing left behind mine waste and mining-influenced water. In the early 1990s, the Montana Abandoned Mine Reclamation Bureau found metal concentrations at levels harmful for human health and the environment. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2001. EPA selected a cleanup plan for residential soils in the town of Neihart in 2009 and will initiate remedial action in 2024. Monitoring and site characterization across the watershed are ongoing. EPA is working on more cleanup plans for the site. Future cleanup efforts will address surface soils and mining-influenced waters. Cleanup and monitoring activities are ongoing with multiple removal actions completed to date. The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is putting in a fish barrier to protect cutthroat trout, a species of concern in 2023. Continued uses at the site include ecological, residential, recreational, federal, public service and commercial areas.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 6 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 21 people and generated an estimated $764,213 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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East Helena Site

Bleachers next to a football field
East Helena Site

The East Helena Superfund site in East Helena, Montana, includes a former lead smelter, the City of East Helena, several residential subdivisions, and surrounding agricultural lands. The former smelter, operated by ASARCO from 1888 to 2001, helped to define the community’s heritage. Smelter operations led to the contamination of large parts of the former smelter facility, the City of East Helena and surrounding lands in Lewis and Clark County. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1984. Cleanup efforts began in the early 1990s, when ASARCO removed contaminated soil from residential yards in East Helena. ASARCO continued these activities through the end of 2009, when EPA assumed responsibility for the residential-yard cleanup as part of the ASARCO bankruptcy settlement. EPA oversees the facility cleanup performed by the Montana Environmental Trust Group (METG)—the named trustee of the Montana Environmental Custodial Trust—as set forth in ASARCO bankruptcy settlement. To date, cleanup at the facility has included demolition of structures, consolidation and covering of contaminated soil and sediment, replacing manmade lakes with enhanced wetlands, and reconstructing the Prickly Pear Creek channel and floodplain. These efforts have substantially improved groundwater quality and prevent exposure of people and migratory birds to contaminated soil. Cleanup of the former smelter facility is nearly complete, with the last remaining cleanup measure, entailing grading and capping the slag pile, to be performed after the upper 2 million tons of unfumed slag have been removed for recycling. To support future development, the City of East Helena annexed former ASARCO-owned lands outside the City boundary in 2009. Consistent with the City’s goals, EPA and METG coordinated cleanup planning with local planning and development efforts. In 2010 and 2011, EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) funded a collaborative community-based reuse planning process. The project resulted in a development strategy for East Helena that focuses on opportunities for economic development and cultural heritage celebration, as well as habitat and recreation. Current site uses include residential, agricultural, commercial, industrial, and recreational. A new elementary school and high school now stand on cleaned-up land. The 300-plus single-family home Highland Meadows subdivision is being developed on former ASARCO lands. Prickly Pear Creek and surrounding wetlands have been restored. In 2019, Region 8 celebrated the METG East Helena Team with its Excellence in Site Reuse award, recognizing their efforts in cleaning up and supporting redevelopment of the site and lands formerly owned by ASARCO. In 2020, over 300 acres of former ASARCO property were transferred to Prickly Pear Land Trust (PPLT) for construction and management of the Greenway Trail system. In 2023, PPLT opened a section of the Greenway Trail named The Grove after METG’s successful remediation and restoration of the property. The City’s long-term growth strategy centers on redevelopment of the former ASARCO lands. In 2022 and 2023, METG entered into sale contracts for all but 20 acres of the remaining, developable former ASARCO land in East Helena. Future uses of these lands will include office, light industrial, commercial, residential, and beneficial public uses, including a new rodeo arena and City services.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 70 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 475 people and generated an estimated $93,966,309 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Flat Creek IMM

The Flat Creek IMM Superfund site is in Superior, Montana. From 1909 to 1930 and from 1947 to 1953, the Iron Mountain Mine (IMM) was active on site. It produced silver, gold, lead, copper and zinc ores. Mine operations produced tailings and soils contaminated with heavy metals. The local government and several community members brought tailings into Superior for use as fill material in yards, roadways and other locations, including a school track and fairgrounds. In 2000, a forest fire triggered a large runoff event that carried contaminated tailings into and around the Flat Creek watershed. These operations and events resulted in the contamination of residential areas and other properties as well as the Flat Creek watershed. The site includes the abandoned IMM mine, the Flat Creek watershed and the town of Superior. Parts of the site are in Lolo National Forest. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2009. Cleanup consists of tailings removal. It is ongoing. Cleanup of residential yards was completed in 2014 and those areas are protective. Today, the site remains in continued use. Commercial and residential areas, museums, county fairgrounds, schools and government offices are on site.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 60 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 431 people and generated an estimated $38,298,789 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Idaho Pole Co.

The 87-acre Idaho Pole Co. Superfund site is in Bozeman, Montana. From 1945 to 1997, the Idaho Pole Company (IPC) ran a wood-treating facility on site. Its operations contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. Cleanup included soil, sediment and groundwater treatment. Groundwater monitoring is ongoing. IPC owns about 65 acres of the site. Residential properties are on the northern part of the site. About 41 acres of vacant property south of the interstate and some acreage north of the interstate are ready for industrial and commercial reuse. In 2019 and 2020, EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) provided support for reuse planning activities at the site, including discussions about future use with stakeholders, local governments and the public. In 2022, EPA negotiated a Prospective Purchaser Agreement with the buyer of the 41 acres of vacant property south of the interstate. Development is expected to commence on the property in 2024 once infrastructure is in place.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Libby Asbestos Site

Libby Asbestos
Libby Asbestos

The Libby Asbestos Superfund site is in the northwest corner of Montana. It includes the cities of Libby and Troy, highways and railroads. Gold miners discovered vermiculite in Libby in 1881. Mining began in the 1920s and ended in 1990. The W.R. Grace Company owned and operated the mine operations most recently. Vermiculite uses ranged from construction materials, such as insulation and tiles, to soil amendments in gardens and fill for driveways in Lincoln County, Montana. By some estimates, while in operation, the Libby mine may have produced more than 80% of the world's supply of vermiculite. Asbestos co-mingled with the vermiculite and contaminated the Libby area with multiple pathways for exposure. EPA sent an Emergency Response Team to Libby in 1999 to investigate and begin removing asbestos in the community. Since 1999, EPA has worked with local, state and federal agencies to investigate over 7,600 residential and commercial properties and clean up more than 2,600 of these properties. In 2002, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL). EPA has completed cleanup at most properties in Libby and Troy. As of 2022, EPA and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality have taken four of the site’s eight areas off the NPL. OU2 (Former Screening Plant), OU6 (BNSF Rail Corridor), and OU8 (Highways/Roadways) are partially deleted. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality will continue to monitor these areas to ensure the protectiveness of the remedies. EPA has actively supported economic development and reuse efforts in Libby and Troy. EPA worked with the Lincoln County Port Authority in 2004 and 2017 to support land use planning and reuse efforts for 400 acres of industrial and commercial properties, including the former Stimson Mill property. EPA sponsored meetings on economic revitalization in 2005 that targeted the real estate community and local contractors. EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program and EPA Region 8 hosted a visioning session in 2017 with property owners and other stakeholders to discuss a long-term vision for redevelopment of Kootenai Business Park. The session resulted in a redevelopment implementation framework to support more industrial and commercial businesses, as well as more recreation opportunities. EPA collaborated with the city, county and community members on the redevelopment of Riverfront Park. This multi-use facility includes river access, pavilions, a memorial, parking, picnic tables and fishing areas. The park also hosts Libby’s annual Riverfront Blues Festival. Following cleanup and restoration activities, the city officially dedicated Riverfront Park in August 2013. In November 2018, EPA presented its Excellence in Site Reuse award to the city of Libby and other stakeholders for the cleanup and redevelopment of the areas that are now Riverfront Park. EPA also worked with the community to clean up a golf course and support development of a trail and fishing pond. In 2020, EPA took the Riverfront Park area of the site off the NPL. Also in 2020, BNSF Railway and EPA finalized an agreement to ensure long-term protectiveness in railroad corridors at the site. Part of the site includes BNSF Railway-owned and operated railyards in the towns of Libby and Troy and about 42 miles of railroad rights of way. Today, land uses on site include commercial, industrial and public service uses.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 333 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 2,508 people and generated an estimated $316,319,904 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Libby Ground Water Contamination

The Libby Ground Water Contamination Superfund site is on the eastern edge of Libby, Montana. The site’s groundwater contamination plume underlays parts of the city of Libby and county land, including land owned by the Lincoln County Port Authority – Kootenai Business Park. The site was part of a lumber and plywood mill that treated wood on site from 1946 to 1969. Past operating practices and the release of wood-treating fluids resulted in contamination of soil and groundwater. In 1979, EPA investigations found well water contamination at a nearby home. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup began in 1986 and is ongoing. Cleanup activities include connecting homes to the municipal water supply, well closures and payments to owners, institutional controls, and soil and groundwater treatment. Site uses include recreational, commercial and light industrial areas. Residential areas are also part of the site. In 2020, EPA modified the remedy to expedite soil and groundwater cleanup. Remedial Action for cleanup of the upper aquifer is ongoing. Construction is planned to continue through 2024 and construction completion is expected by March 2025.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Lockwood Solvent Ground Water Plume

The 580-acre Lockwood Solvent Ground Water Plume Superfund site is in Billings, Montana. In 1986, sampling found benzene and chlorinated solvents in water supply wells. Investigations identified an area of groundwater contamination originating from Beall Trailers of Montana and Soco West (formerly Brenntag West). The Beall Trailers facility made and repaired tanker-truck trailers used to transport asphalt. From 1978 to 1990, operators cleaned trailers with industrial solvents and steam prior to maintenance and repair. Wastewater went into a septic system drain field on site. The primary sump in the former Steam Bay was cracked due to freeze-thaw events, resulting in release of contaminants below the structure. Soco West ran a chemical repackaging and distribution company on site. Operations at both facilities resulted in the contamination of soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 2000. Cleanup includes groundwater monitoring, soil and groundwater treatment, and the establishment of a permanent controlled groundwater area and a community education program. Groundwater treatment includes using enhanced natural processes to break down contamination. The site remains in continued use. Residential, commercial, and industrial areas are on site. A small part of Interstate 90 also crosses the site.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 5 people and generated an estimated $1,000,000 in annual sales revenue. For additional information click here.

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Milltown Reservoir Sediments

A view of the site from the newly constructed bluff overlook
Milltown Reservoir/Clark Fork River

The Milltown Reservoir/Clark Fork River Superfund site extends from the headwaters of the Clark Fork River at Warm Springs Ponds in Deer Lodge County, Montana to the former dam location in Milltown, Montana. From the 1860s until the late 20th century, the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers region in western Montana was one of the richest mining regions in the world. A flood in 1908 sent large quantities of mining waste from the Butte and Anaconda mining districts into the Milltown Reservoir. The Milltown Reservoir Sediments Operable Unit includes about 540 acres in the Clark Fork River and Blackfoot River floodplain and consists of the area encompassed by the former Milltown dam and reservoir. Elevated levels of arsenic were found in local drinking water in 1981. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup of the Milltown Reservoir Sediments Operable Unit included removal of contaminated sediments and restoration of the floodplain. Construction was substantially complete in 2012. In 2005, assisted by an EPA Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) pilot grant, area communities developed a reuse plan for the site. Milltown State Park opened to the public in 2018 with trails, river access, wildlife habitat and interpretive areas celebrating the region’s history and heritage. The Clark Fork River Operable Unit, which begins at the most-downgradient point of the Butte Silver Bow Superfund Complex, and continues for approximately 120 river miles to Milltown, MT, is in various stages of remedial design and remedial action. A portion of the Clark Fork River [Operable Unit] is located in Deer Lodge, MT within Powell County, and the river flows through Arrow Stone Park. Arrow Stone Park is primarily used for recreation and includes an asphalt trail network and river access for fishing and floating. In response to Powell County requests for assistance in 2023, SRP is providing reuse planning assistance to develop an updated master plan for Arrow Stone Park to support coordination with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality who is leading the cleanup (remedial design and remedial action) that is planned 2023-2024.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on one on-site business.  EPA did not have further economic details related to this business. For additional information click here.

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Montana Pole And Treating

The 40-acre Montana Pole and Treating Superfund site is in Butte, Montana. From 1946 to 1983, a wood-treating facility on site preserved utility poles, posts and bridge timbers. Its operations and waste disposal practices contaminated groundwater, surface water, sediment and soil. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1987. Cleanup included treatment of contaminated soil and sediment, water treatment, and relocation of sewer and drinking water pipes. Institutional controls at the site restrict groundwater use and residential uses. An interstate highway that crosses the site divides it into two work areas. The water treatment plant remains active on the northern part of the site. Groundwater and surface water monitoring are ongoing. In 2021, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, in coordination with EPA, updated the remedy, setting more stringent cleanup standards. Once the new standards are met, Butte-Silver Bow County plans to open an animal shelter on part of the site. The site may also be used for recreation, including the extension of a trail connection between Copper Mountain and Silver Bow.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Mouat Industries

A new public works building is located on the Site
Mouat Industries

The 4.5-acre Mouat Industries Superfund site is in Columbus, Montana. The site lies in the historic floodplain of the Yellowstone River. From 1957 to 1962, Mouat Industries’ chromite ore operation was active on site. It generated wastes that contaminated soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1986. Working with EPA, several potentially responsible parties (PRPs) demolished the former processing facility, containerized or relocated wastes, treated contaminated soil and groundwater, and put groundwater and land use controls in place. Cleanup construction finished in 1996. In 2009, EPA took the surface and subsurface soil areas of the site off the NPL. In 2011, the town of Columbus built a new public works building on part of the site. The remainder of the site has a vegetated cap and a gravel cover or is the former location of Timberweld, a wood manufacturing company that shut down in 2015. Maintenance of the soil covers and groundwater monitoring are ongoing. Timberweld assets, including the property, went to auction in March 2017. A fencing company purchased one parcel for the storage of supplies and materials. A steel workers union purchased another parcel. EPA is working with the new property owners to support redevelopment opportunities compatible with the site’s remedy.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 2 on-site businesses. EPA did not have further economic details related to these businesses. For additional information click here.

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Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area

Copper Mountain Sports Complex, which serves as recreational reuse at the Superfund site
Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area

The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund site is in and around Butte, Montana. It consists of the Berkeley Pit and the underground mine workings of the historic Butte Mining District (Butte Hill), the urban centers of Butte and Walkerville, rural areas outside of Butte where mining took place, and treatment/settling ponds at the Warm Springs Ponds. The site also includes 26 miles of stream and streamside habitat downstream from Butte. Starting in the late 1800s, mining operators dumped mining wastes into areas in and around Butte. Operators also dumped wastes into streams and wetlands near mining operations. Emissions from mining operations and improper waste disposal activities contaminated soil, groundwater and surface water with heavy metals. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. The Butte Area was added to the site in 1987. Since 1988, EPA has completed several cleanup actions to address immediate and long-term threats to human health and the environment. These actions include addressing areas around former smelter sites, mine waste dumps, railroad beds, stream banks and channels, and residential yards in Butte and Walkerville. Cleanup of the Silver Bow Creek area included off-site disposal of contaminated sediment and restoration of stream banks and flood plains. The 26-mile stream habitat is now home to native fish, insects, hundreds of bird species and wetlands. The Warm Spring Ponds area is a designated wildlife management area administered by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. It offers habitat for migrating waterfowl and breeding areas for dozens of songbird species and osprey. It also offers recreational trails for biking and hiking. The Rocker Timber area, located west of Butte, includes industrial and railroad uses as well as part of the Greenway Trail. The Berkeley Pit area includes the waters in the 475-acre Berkeley Pit, underground mine workings, and associated aquifers. Cleanup has included diverting runoff to the pit, hazing efforts to keep migratory birds away from the pit, and a community education campaign. Ongoing mining continues in the nearby Continental Pit. The Butte Priority Soils and Westside soils area include commercial, residential and recreational areas west of Butte and Butte and Walkersville. Since the mid-1990s, a residential metals abatement program has cleaned up homes across the area. In 2020, a Consent Decree was approved for final cleanup actions, including treating stormwater and groundwater, capping mine waste areas, and removing more mine waste along Silver Bow and Blacktail Creek. The Consent Decree also sets aside 120 acres for connected greenways in Butte. These greenways will include natural park spaces with reconstructed wetlands, native plants, wildlife habitat, interpretative signage, playground features, trails and boardwalks for all-season access.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA had data on 305 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 4,222 people and generated an estimated $628,501,002 in annual sales revenue.  For additional information click here.

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Smurfit-Stone Mill Frenchtown

The 3,200-acre Smurfit-Stone Mill Frenchtown site is 11 miles northwest of Missoula, Montana. A pulp and paper mill operated on site from 1957 to 2010. EPA is investigating the presence of mill-related chemicals and wastes in groundwater, surface water, soils and sediments. Sampling and monitoring of groundwater and soil are ongoing. O’Keefe Creek, La Valle Creek and Clark Fork River are next to the site; they include wetland areas. The Clark Fork River supports a variety of fish. The federally designated threatened bull trout lives in the river. The site investigation includes the Clark Fork River – Grass Valley Important Bird Area, named due to its significance to bird species of conservation concern. The site also includes groundwater, surface water, soil and land in the 100-year floodplain, up to and including the Clark Fork River. People use the river for recreation in the summer. Activities include camping, hiking and fishing. About 1,200 acres at the site remain in agricultural use for cattle grazing and growing alfalfa and grain crops. The part of the Clark Fork River next to the site is a Wildlife Protected Area for bald eagle nesting, a high-density bald eagle winter concentration area, a big game critical wintering/spring area and a peregrine falcon nesting area.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Upper Tenmile Creek Mining Area

The Upper Tenmile Creek Mining Area Superfund site covers about 53 square miles in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. It consists of about 150 hard rock mines in the historic Rimini Mining District located within 20 miles of Helena, Montana. The majority of metals mining began in the 1870s and continued through the 1930s: the last active Gold mining operation filed for Bankruptcy in the late 1990s. Though the District was identified as a primary source of Silver, 90% of the precious metals extraction was in fact Gold. The ‘by-product’ of these activities were Mine waste rock containing heavy metals that contaminated soil, groundwater and surface water. US Forest Service administrated lands comprise 70% of the Site thus most of the land is undeveloped and used for recreation. Though there are a few seasonal and annual use dwellings ‘scattered’ throughout the Site, there are two concentrated residential areas – the Landmark Subdivision and the Rimini Community. The city of Helena (the City) gets over 90% of its drinking water supply from the Tenmile Creek watershed and has done so since the mid-1880s. Other current uses include recreational hunting and fishing across undeveloped parts of site while surface water from Tenmile Creek is used for flood irrigation of hay and other crops. Due to documented private drinking water wells containing Arsenic above the MCL (Maximum Contamination Level), potential human contact exposure to mine waste, metals-loading impacting the raw water supply for the City of Helena and Ecological impact concerns for surface water due to fish kills, EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1999. From 1996 to 2001, EPA assisted state agencies in relocating mine waste from several abandoned mines to a secure storage area. A Remedial Investigation Feasibility Study was conducted identifying 67 properties for Residential Soils Remediation , 70 Priority Mine Sites and 37 source/adit discharges of which 7 contribute 93+% of the metals contamination load in the Watershed. In2002, the Record of Decision (ROD) was finalized and indicates remediation of solid media mine waste sites are based on human access and potential for exposure from the 70 priority mine wastes sites identified thus those priority mine sites nearest to human populations are to be the highest priority and those that are less accessible are to be evaluated by a 4-Tier process (defined in the ROD) as to need for remedial action. The Principal Threat Waste identified for the Site are the Source/Adit discharges of acid mine drainage from the Red Water Mine, Lee Mountain/ Little Lily mine complex, and the Susie Portal which are located in the Rimini Community and influencing the groundwater. EPA attempted to locate a groundwater source sufficient in quality and quantity to provide drinking water to the Rimini Community however, no viable source could be located. EPA revised the cleanup plan, via a 2008 ROD Amendment, to indicate that surface water would be the source water for a Water District Permitted and Maintained Public Water System for Rimini and residential properties would require individual septic systems. As of 2023, most homes in Rimini and several in the Landmark subdivision receive drinking water from EPA’s bottled water program as provisioned through the EPA Cooperative Agreement with the Lewis and Clark County Health Department. EPA is to address the 7 priority source/adit discharges identified in the ROD: Red Water Mine, Lee Mountain Mine Complex, Susie Portal, National Extension, Bunker Hill (including Little Sampson), Minnehaha, and Monitor Creek. The remaining 30 source/adit discharges are considered low level and are to be addressed by “low cost passive measures” when addressing solid media mine waste in the specific area of discharge.. In 2002, EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Program (SRP) supported the City and Lewis & Clark County’s community-based planning process to develop future land use recommendations for the site. In 2003, EPA provided funding to Rimini Community, Inc., for independent technical assistance though a Technical Assistance Grant. In 2016, EPA completed the cleanup of residential soils for which EPA had Consent to Access: with ownership changes and consent given to access, only ½ property remains for remediation out of the original 67 properties identified for remediation. EPA will investigate any potential new properties having record and/or visual evidence of historical mining activities consistent with need for remediation: properties that are identified but Consent to Access is not given will be addressed via Institutional Controls to ensure remedy protectiveness. EPA is working with Lewis & Clark County and the state to establish rules for groundwater use and put institutional controls in place. EPA completed cleanup at the Rimini Road (Basin Creek Mine Road) area of the site in 2010. Cleanup of unpaved roads in residential areas finished in 2011. EPA’s cleanup of contaminated mine waste from the Lee Mountain – Little Lily Mine Complex in Rimini finished in 2013. In 2017, cleanup of mine waste from the National Extension and Bunker Hill Priority Mine Group finished. Cleanup of remaining Priority Mine Waste site areas will be determined by the 4-Tier evaluation process defined in the ROD with further action based on accessibility and contaminant load to surface waters. In December 2021, the site was among those selected by EPA to receive cleanup funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. With this funding, EPA is already initiating work on backlogged remedial construction projects and accelerating cleanups at NPL sites. Cleanup construction planned for 2023 and 2024 is being conducted under Cooperative Agreement with the State of Montana (MDEQ)and includes solid media removal, installation of irrigation ditches, placement of clean soil and revegetation for the RV Ranch & stockpile as well as the Minnehaha Priority Mine Waste Group.
Last updated December 2023

As of December 2023, EPA did not have economic data related to on-site businesses, or economic data were not applicable due to site use. For additional information click here.

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Last updated on June 20, 2024