The Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday released a new plan that will expand the number of homes in Butte eligible to receive free cleanup of lead contamination.
EPA’s proposed plan significantly lowers the amount of lead required to trigger cleanup of homes and yards in Butte. The change brings the Butte Superfund Site in line with national guidance, issued by EPA in January, to lower acceptable lead levels in cleanups across the country.
J.P. Gallagher is the Chief Executive for Butte-Silver Bow.
“I think it’s a great announcement for our community, and actually for everybody across the United States that’s dealing with any kind of lead issues,” said Gallagher.
Butte’s cleanup level had long been a point of contention in the community. Butte and nearby Anaconda are both targeted for cleanup of historic mining and smelting contamination– but Butte’s lead threshold was three times higher than Anaconda’s.
The proposed rule also makes more than 7,000 additional households in the Butte Flats eligible for free cleanup through the Residential Metals Abatement Program. Homes that have previously been cleaned will be eligible to receive further cleanup to meet the new threshold.
EPA says it expects the extra cleanup work will take up to 25 years to complete. The Agency will hold a public meeting on the plan on November 18th. The plan could be finalized by the end of the year.
