BUTTE -The EPA informed Butte residents at a public hearing Tuesday evening that it could take another five months before the agency could determine the action levels for removing harmful lead from the soil. Another delay for a community that’s waited decades for a proper Superfund cleanup.
“We’ve waited too damn long for things to get done in this community. I have three grandchildren, for crying out loud, they’ll be my age before any of this stuff gets completed,” Butte resident Don Petritz said during the meeting.
WATCH: Butte Superfund Cleanup Delayed 5 More Months Due to Policy Changes
The EPA’s Region Eight administrator told a crowd at the Montana Tech library auditorium that recent administration changes have forced EPA policy changes, and a new action level number for lead concentration will be determined.
"That’s absolutely on us, and I apologize for that and the delay that it’s caused, but I assure you that making sure there are no further delays is my top priority in Butte and all Superfund sites that are stuck,” Region 8 Administrator Cyrus Western said.
In 2024, Butte expected the action level to be 175 parts per million, or PPM, but that was changed in 2025 to 1,200 ppm– an amount many deem too high. The EPA is going back to the proverbial drawing board to determine another level, which they hope will be revealed by June 1st.
“The number will be significantly lower than the 1,200 parts per million clean-up level,” EPA Project Manager Molly Roby said.
Butte Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher thanked the EPA for the update but pressed them to move faster.
"We want to see action, that’s one of the things when we’re talking about this, words don’t matter. Action is what’s really going to make a difference here,” Gallagher said.
Once the new figure is reached, the EPA will take30 days for public comment before finalizing the plan.
