BUTTE — “I can’t begin to tell you how many conversations, meetings, that we’ve had in DC talking about this superfund site in Butte,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said.
On November 4, 2025, the EPA Administrator visited Montana, specifically Butte, as part of his nationwide touring effort. Zeldin tells MTN that there are only a couple of other cleanup sites that get discussed as frequently as the Butte Superfund Cleanup site.
EPA Administrator tours Butte Superfund site, promises community partnership
“Being able to get oriented with this map that I’ve seen in DC, but it’s a very different standing point at the location where you’re able to see so much of Butte,” Zeldin said, “As I’m standing there, I’m thinking of all that history. There’s so much remediation that has been needed and will continue to be needed.”
Throughout the day, Zeldin tells MTN that he met many community members and toured various sites in the mining city. JP Gallagher said that he was glad to see the administrator make a stop in Butte, especially to view the complexity of the Superfund cleanup site.
Gallagher notes that he was able to bring up other issues, such as lead levels, to the administrator’s attention.
“I was able to share with him about the concerns with the change in the action level of lead level and blood lead level, and things like that. And I don’t know where that’s going to go,” JP Gallagher said, “You know, there are challenges because they’re doing it more at a national level, rather than on site, and keeping things kind of same across the board, but that still doesn’t answer the question from the community, are we safe?”
Asking the administrator about his message to residents, he reiterates his desire to work with the community of Butte.
“What’s important — We want to work as closely as possible with local residents, we don’t want any light between us. And we want to listen to the communities’ concerns, we want to provide assistance and support however we can, we don’t want to provide conflict or friction,” Zeldin said, “We want to be an asset and an ally, and we don’t want to be responsible for any delays. Speed is going to be very important here, and for the residents of Butte, they’ve been waiting – not months or years, but decades, generations. And whatever feedback we get here today visiting Butte, or in the days, weeks, months ahead – we just want to be great partners.”
