Butte public voices hopes, concerns on updated EPA soil cleanup plan

BUTTE, Mont. -- At Montana Tech's Library Auditorium on Tuesday evening, regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership opened the floor to the Butte public to share thoughts on the recently updated proposal for Superfund soil cleanup. And though some changes are seen favorably, there are still many concerns that residents want to see addressed before the plan is finalized.

The EPA's new proposal for cleaning contaminated soil and attic dust in Butte was released June 1. It includes a new threshold for which soil containing lead is eligible to be remediated, lowered from the previous standard of 1,200 parts per million to 456 ppm. It also expands the boundary of the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU), set to include over 7,000 additional households.

EPA administrators say that the new lead-action standard was determined based on the 2025 National Lead Directive, with priorities of both protecting human health and getting cleanup work done quickly.

"The number one piece of feedback we've heard is that folks are just sick and tired of spinning their tires in place and not really making progress," said EPA Region 8 administrator Cyrus Western. "That's one thing that administrator [Lee] Zeldin has promised at Superfund sites across the nation--that we're going to make progress, we're going to deliver results, and we're going to make tangible, measurable steps to ensure that these communities are clean and healthy."

Despite these changes, many Butte residents still hold concerns. One such issue that a number of public speakers on Tuesday took is the new 456 ppm lead threshold, given that this number is higher than the 400 ppm threshold found at the nearby Superfund site in Anaconda.

Others argued that they feel the lead-action level is being increased rather than reduced, as the 456 ppm number is higher than the previously proposed 175 ppm threshold, as was suggested in 2024 during the previous presidential administration.

Additionally, some residents want the expanded BPSOU boundary to also include Margaret Leary Elementary School and the nearby Jeremy Bullock Memorial Soccer Complex, which are currently not covered by the EPA's proposed plan.

Finally, the most common piece of feedback shared by residents is that the cleanup effort needs to be completed much quicker than the EPA's estimated timeline of 15 years.

"There's no reason we shouldn't be done with this in three or four years," said Evan Barrett of the Butte Watchdogs for Social & Environmental Justice. "Do 1,000 or 1,500 [homes] a year. Other towns do that. They just have to bring the people in to do it. It's dangerous for kids and it's dangerous for adults. We need to get it out."

The EPA is still accepting written comments on the proposal until 11:59 p.m. on June 30, soon after which the plan will be finalized with public feedback taken into account. Written feedback can be emailed to EPAButtePPcomments@epa.gov.

More information on the proposed plan is available at the EPA's status site for Butte-Silver Bow.

Additionally, details about how to get your yard's soil tested or how to get your blood tested for lead can be found online at the EPA's lead hub.