Site Assessment and Community-Stakeholder Engagement
Conducting hazardous waste site assessments at National Priority List (NPL) and state-funded cleanup sites throughout the state is part of TEPH's strategy to address public health threats from environmental waste.
The MT APPLETREE program prioritizes work at hazardous sites with our ATSDR Technical Project Officer, Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and local agencies.
You can review current and past program activities below.
Current Program Activities
(Image source: MT DPHHS)
The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund site includes the land in and around the town of Butte and is 26 miles from the entire Silver Bow Creek. Mining operations since the late 1800s have resulted in heavy metal contamination in soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediment. The original Silver Bow Creek site was first added to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. An amendment in 1987 included large areas in and around Butte.
The MT APPLETREE program is currently preparing a health consultation on arsenic exposure for this site. Please check back for updates on this.
Below is a summary of the work that ATSDR and Montana DPHHS have done regarding this site:
- ATSDR assessment of health impact from direct contact with Silver Bow Creek water and health implications of using creek water to irrigate food crops (Silver Bow Creek)
- Reference: ATSDR 1985. Health Assessment: Silver Bow Creek. Butte, Montana. November 1985.
- ATSDR review of Alice Mine/Sherman Ballfield site sampling results and evaluation of potential public health risk (Walkerville)
- Reference: ATSDR. 1987. Health Consultation: Walkerville, Montana. August 1987.
- ATSDR review of EPA’s Endangerment Assessment (EA) and evaluation of potential public health risk posed by mining wastes (Butte)
- Reference: ATSDR. 1990. Health Assessment: Butte Mining District (SI-87-D44; NPL), Butte, Montana. December, 1990.
- ATSDR Exposure Investigation of arsenic and lead in Rocker after elevated arsenic concentrations were detected in environmental samples (Rocker)
- Reference: ATSDR. 1992. Arsenic and lead exposure study of residents living near the Rocker Operable Unit of the Silver Bow Creek Superfund Site, Rocker, Montana. January 1992.
- ATSDR Health Consultation on potential health hazard of airborne particulate metals and silica from the tailings (Butte-Yankee Doodle Tailings Pond)
- Reference: ATSDR. 2001. Health Consultation: Yankee Doodle Tailings Pond, Butte, Montana. June 2001.
- ATSDR Exposure Investigation in response to elevated lead and arsenic levels measured in indoor dust samples (Walkerville)
- Reference: ATSDR. 2001. Exposure Investigation: Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area (a/k/a Walkerville), Silver Bow Creek, Silver Bow County, Montana. July 2001.
- MT DPHHS Letter Health Consultation on air quality in response to the request by Butte-Silver Bow Health Department (Butte-Greeley Neighborhood)
- Reference: MT DPHHS. 2020. Letter Health Consultation: Evaluation of PM and Metals in Air, Greeley Neighborhood, Butte, MT. October 2020.
- ATSDR Health Consultation on cancer incidence in the county primarily associated with exposure to arsenic and to a lesser extent, lead and mercury (Silver Bow County)
- Reference: ATSDR. 2001. Cancer Incidence in Silver Bow County, Montana, 1979-1999.
- MT DPHHS cancer data summary for 1981-2010 (Silver Bow County)
- Reference: MT DPHHS. 2012. Cancer incidence in Silver Bow County, Montana, and the United States.
- MT DPHHS cancer data summary for 2002-2016 (Silver Bow County)
- Reference: MT DPHHS. 2018. Cancer in Silver Bow County.
(Image source: U.S. EPA)
- Billings PCE Fact Sheet (December 2022)
- For detailed site history, updates, and information visit Montana DEQ's page for this site.
- A health consultation is currently in progress. Check back for updates.
- For background information, clean up history, and current status visit EPA's superfund page for the Anaconda Aluminum Company Columbia Falls Reduction Plant.
(Image Source: Chris Boyer, Kestrel Aerial Services, courtesy of Montana Dept. of Justice Natural Resource Damage Program)
- For background information, clean-up history, and current status visit EPA's superfund page for Smurfit-Stone Mill Frenchtown.
Past Program Activities: NPL Superfund Sites
- Exposure to Lead and Arsenic in Surface Soil, Black Eagle Community - Health Consultation(09/15/2016)
- For detailed background information, clean-up history, and current status visit EPA's superfund page for Anaconda Copper Mining Smelter and Refinery.
- Blood Lead and Urine Arsenic Levels - Health Consultation - Exposure Investigation(10/17/19)
- Summary of Blood Lead and Urine Arsenic Levels Exposure Investigation
- Evaluation of Residential Soil Arsenic Action Level - Health Consultation (10/19/07)
- For detailed background information, clean-up history, and current status visit EPA's superfund page for Anaconda Co. Smelter.
(Image source: Montana Environmental Trust Group, LLC, Trustee of the Montana Environmental Custodial Trust)
- Review of Preferred Cleanup Alternatives 2R and 3R - Health Consultation(05/20/08)
- For detailed background information, clean-up history, and current status visit EPA's superfund page for East Helena.
(Image source: U.S. EPA)
- Review of 2009 and 2010 Soil Data - Health Consultation(04/02/14)
- Biological Monitoring for Exposure to Lead and Arsenic - Health Consultation - Exposure Investigation(03/31/11)
- Flat Creek IMM (a.k.a. Superior Waste Rock) - Public Health Assessment(01/06/10)
- For detailed background information, clean-up history, and current status visit EPA's superfund page for Flat Creek Iron Mountain Mine and Mill (a.k.a. Superior Waste Rock).
- Libby Asbestos NPL Site - Public Health Assessment(05/15/03)
- Mortality in Libby, Montana (1979 -1998) - Health Consultation(08/08/02)
- For detailed background information, clean-up history, and current status visit EPA's superfund page for the Libby Asbestos Site.
