Region 8
Serving Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 27 Tribal Nations
Superfund Program
National Information
Regional Information
Site Information
National Priorities List (NPL) History
Proposed Date
12/30/1982
Final Date
9/8/1983
Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area
Type: Active NPL
City: Butte
Zip code: 59701
EPA ID#: MTD980502777
Congressional District: At Large
What's New?
EPA is conducting a 5-Year Review at the Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area site. We will periodically post relevant information.
5-Year Review announcement
The Multi-Pathway Residential Metals Abatement Program Plan is available for review and public comment. This program is designed to mitigate potentially harmful exposure of residents to sources of lead, arsenic, and mercury contamination. The program uses a multi-pathway approach to address both mining (waste rock, tailings, and aerial emissions) and non-mining (lead based paint and lead solder) contamination. Components of the program include a long-term tracking and data management program, an education and outreach plan, and a medical monitoring program.
The public comment period begins on September 1, 2009 and runs for 30 days through October 2. Please send written comments to the Butte EPA office at 155 W. Granite; Butte, MT 59701. If you would like more information, please call Sara Sparks at EPA at 782-7415, or Joe Griffin at the Montana Department of Envionmental Quality at 406-560-6060.
1. Consent Decree Negotiations have begun between the Portentially Responsible Parties and the government. Because of the confidential nature of negotiations, the various governmnet staff members working on the Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area site may not discuss the topics being negotiated. You may still call government staff but please understand that there may be topics that are off limits until the CD negotiations conclude. Please also feel free to contact your community technical assistance group TAG for information on how you can get involved.
2. The Granite Mountain Memorial Interpretive Area (GMMIA)includes Granite Mountain Memorial, the Mountain Con Mine Yard, and surrounding historic mining areas. The GMMIA will be a part of Montana's Copperway Regional Heritage Park. EPA's comment period on the Granite Mountain Memorial Area Phase 2 Remedial Action Work Plan/Final Design Report ended in November 2008, but you can still read the document at the EPA office in Butte. If you are interested in continuing to voice your opinion on the GMMIA here are a few ways to get involved:
- The community-based Granite Mountain Memorial Committee has been meeting for several years to discuss and determine what the memorial area will look like. If you would like to get involved with this group, you can contact Jean Cannada at
782-3264.
- The Butte Restoration Alliance is also involved in planning for the GMMIA. You can contact Dick Gibson, Chair of the Historic Preservation Subcommittee of the Restoration Alliance at 723-9639.
3. Please see Site Risks below for an update on the Butte Residential Metals Abatement Program.
4.The Record of Decision for Butte Priority Soils documents the final cleanup plan for this portion of the Silver Bow Creek - Butte Area Site, September 2006: see the Site Documents section.
Site Description
The boundary of the Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area site begins above Butte, near the Continental Divide, and extends westward along Silver Bow Creek to and including the Warm Springs Ponds (a treatment area). The site covers about 26 miles of stream and stream side habitat. Silver Bow Creek was used as a conduit for mining, smelting, industrial and municipal wastes for more than a hundred years. Vast mine tailings deposits are found along the creek. These deposits contain elevated levels of metals and have been dispersed over the entire flood plain. The site also includes the cities of Butte and Walkerville, as well as the Berkeley Pit and the interconnected mine workings.
The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area site is one of four contamination areas, jointly known as the Clark Fork Basin Sites. Others are: Milltown Reservoir Sediments, Anaconda Company Smelter, and Montana Pole & Treating Plant. All are on EPA's National Priorities List.
1. Finalization and implementation of remedial designs for:
- Granite Mountain Memorial Interpretive Area
- Syndicate Pit
- Remaining source areas
- Lower Area One
2. Conducting storm water monitoring program
3. Conducting groundwater monitoring program
- Installation of additional groundwater monitoring wells in Metro Storm Drain and Lower Area One.
4. Additional review of the Residential Metals Abatement Program
6. Implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Storm Water.
7. Full-scale implementation of the Butte Reclamation Evaluation System.
8. Consent Decree negotiations or Administrative Order is served by EPA.
Site Risks
More that 100 years of mining have resulted in the development of over 500 underground mines (with roughly 3,000 miles of underground workings) and 4 open pit mines including the Berkeley Pit with its ancillary tailings ponds, waste dumps, and acid leach pads. Operation of silver mills and copper and zinc concentrators/ smelter in Butte resulted in the production of a variety of mill and smelter wastes including particulates (aerial emissions and tailings. The long period of mining in Butte left the landscape littered with un-vegetated or sparsely vegetated mine wastes, often containing hazardous concentrations of metals and arsenic. These wastes represent significant sources of environmental contamination to Silver Bow Creek and posed human health and risks to the environment.
Ground water, surface water and soils are contaminated with arsenic and other heavy metals, including copper, zinc, cadmium and lead. Silver Bow Creek and the Clark Fork River contain metals from the cities of Butte to Milltown. The tailings, dispersed along the creek and river, severely limit aquatic life forms and have caused fish kills in the river. Potential health threats include direct contact with and ingestion of contaminated soil, surface water, ground water or inhaling contaminated air.
Butte/Silver Bow County currently has a very successful Lead Intervention and Abatement Program. The County's abatement program removes both mining-related and non-mining related sources of lead (such as lead-based paint and piping) from residential properties where children live. The County has implemented the program since 1995 and there has been a significant drop in blood lead levels in the community. For more information on this program, call Eric Hassler at the Butte- Silver Bow County Health Department at 406-497-5042.
UPDATE !
The Residential Metals Abatement Program was included in the 2006 Record of Decision (ROD) signed by EPA and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. At that time, EPA committed to periodic review of the Program. The 2008 Program review shows some progress in sampling, cleanup and blood lead testing. When the ROD was signed, 1000 properties had already been sampled. The ROD required the remaining 3,400 residential properties be assessed in eight years from September 2006 - the date of the ROD, or by September 2014. In 2007, the Butte-Silver Bow (BSB) Health Department sampled 126 properties.
Sampling and Cleanup - In 2008, the Butte-Silver Bow (BSB) Health Department sampled 140 of the remaining properties. Of the 140 properties, 20 had elevated levels of lead and/or arsenic in yard soils, indoor dust, or basement soils. A schedule to clean up these properties is part of the normal process within the Butte Silver Bow Residential Metals Program. From January 2008 to November 2008, BSB cleaned up 37 properties: 14 soil abatement projects, 15 attic dust abatement projects, 1 interior dust abatement project, 3 cap protection/lead paint projects and 4 storm water sites.
Attic Dust - An additional 54 properties had elevated levels of lead and/or arsenic only in the attic dust. As stated in the ROD, if it is determined that the attic dust is entering the living space or the property owner will be remodeling the attic area, the attic dust will be removed.
Blood Lead Sampling - BSB continues to collect blood lead data. Of the 656 children participating in the blood lead screening in 2008, no children had elevated blood leads, i.e., above 9.9µg/dl.
EPA will review the program and associated data again in September 2009.
Cleanup Progress
EPA has completed several removal actions and is now focusing on cleanup of the rest of the Butte Priority Soils OU through long-term remedial response actions.
Removal Actions
1988 - Walkerville (north of Butte): Stabilization of 300,000 cubic yards of lead-contaminated soil from mine waste dumps. Earthen basements (4) and residential yards (23) were cleaned up.
1989 - Timber Butte ): Some 40,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil were moved to a temporary on-site repository in 1989. Two residential yards were cleaned up.
1990 -1991 - Priority Soils: Waste dumps containing about 100,000 cubic yards of soil were either capped or removed. A railroad bed and seven residential yards were also reclaimed.
1991 - Colorado Smelter: Approximately 40,000 cubic yards were moved to an on-site disposal area.
1992 - Anselmo Mine Yard/Late Acquisition Silver Hill: contaminated soils were removed.
1994 - Walkerville: Several waste dumps were either removed or capped.
1994 - Residential/Source Areas: Residentia yards and Waste Rock Dumps located throughout Butte and Walkerville have been/are being addressed.
1996 - Storm H2O : Construction of cement channels & sedimentation ponds throughout the Butte hill to address Storm H2O contamination.
1999 - Railroad : Removal of contaminated soil on numerous railroad beds and rail yards throughout the Butte hills. This action should be completed in 2003.
2000/2001 - Walkerville Residential Area: This action addressed 46 residential properties throughout Walkerville, MT.
Long-Term Remedial Response
Warm Springs Ponds
The three man-made Warm Springs Treatment Ponds cover 2,500 acres at the confluence of four main tributaries of the upper Clark Fork River. From 1990 through 1995, three separate Superfund response actions were carried out by the ponds' owner and system operator, the Atlantic Richfield Company, with oversight by EPA.
Tailings were removed from the Mill-Willor Bypass and consolidated behind armored, reinforced berms. The lime treatment plant and hydraulic structures were upgraded. Large areas of exposed tailings were capped or flooded. Waterfowl ponds and wetlands were constructed throughout the pond and bypass system.
Water quality and biological monitoring over the past ten years show a significant improvement in the pond system's ability to treat the highly toxic water of Silver Bow Creek. Water leaving the pond system now rarely exceeds EPA's Gold Book water quality criteria for protection of aquatic life. The bypass is today a meandering stream that has become excellent habitat for trout and sculpins, and it supports a rich assemblage of aquatic insects. The aquatic environment of the upper Clark Fork River has benefitted measurably since the response actions at the Warm Springs Ponds were completed.
Butte Priority Soils
The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit was divided into two phases. Phase I, an expedited Response Actions, addressed source areas by removing waste dumps, railroad beds, or other related mine wastes. Response actions that are part of Phase I continue. Phase II is the final remedial process to address the remaining environmental and human health issues associated with all the media including soil, groundwater and surface water. Phase II culminated in a Record of Decision (ROD) in September 2006.
West Camp/ Travona Shaft Area
In 1989, rising mine waters were addressed by a pumping and piping system, sending the waters to the Metro Plant and preventing basement flooding and discharges of contaminated ground water to the alluvial aquifer and Silver Bow Creek.
Berkeley Pit
EPA and the state are concerned about rising contaminated mine water in the pit because the water may eventually migrate into the shallow aquifer and Silver Bow Creek. Clean up plans include: 1) Permanent control of surface inflow into the Pit; 2) Maintenance of the water level in the Berkeley Pit system; 3) Continued control of the West Camp/ Travona System; 4) An extensive compliance monitoring program; and 5) Institutional controls.
Rocker Timber Framing and Treating Plant
In 1995, EPA, working with MDEQ, selected the remedy to address human health risks from potential exposure to contaminated soils and ground water. Cleanup occurred in 1997. EPA is in close communication with the Rocker Water Board and the Butte Silver Bow County Health Department.
Stream Side Tailings
In November 1995, EPA and the MDEQ selected a remedy for the Stream side Tailings area. An Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) adjusted the remedy to some extent. The remedy removes much of the waste along the Creek and treats other waste in place. Construction began in fall 1999 and is progressing well in Sub-Area 1 in the upper portion of SBC.
Lower Area One
EPA conducted an Expedited Response Action for this area: In 1992, EPA removed manganese stockpiles; and in 1993-1997 removed mine tailings (Colorado and Butte Reduction). A ground water collection and treatment system has been installed. Studies are underway to see if additional cleanup is necessary.
Final capture and treatment of contaminated ground water is planned and the final cleanup decisions will be part of the Priority Soils ROD.
Environmental Progress
Numerous completed cleanup actions at the Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Site have reduced human exposure to metals and other health threats. However, EPA has determined that high concentrations of metal in soils and drainage from the smelter still pose risks that will be addressed in future cleanup actions.
Site documents
Note: the documents below are Adobe PDF documents (About PDF files)
Fact Sheets.
ROD Summary (PDF, 2 pp, 334K)
Five-Year Review Annual Update-January 2009 (PDF, 4 pp, 50K)
Technical Documents
Granite Mountain Memorial Area Phase 2 Remedial Action Work Plan/Final Design Report
Butte Priority Soils - Record of Decision, September 2006
Five-Year Review-September 30, 2005 (217 pp, 2.6 MB)
Best way to open the very large file above: right-click and save it to a folder.
Archived documents: 
Past Records of Decision for this site
Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Site Contacts
EPA |
Montana |
|
Sara Sparks, Remedial Project Manager In the Helena OfficeWendy Thomi, Community Involvement Coordinator Scott Brown Russ Forba |
Joe Griffin Daryl Reed |
View Documents at: |
Community Groups |
|
U.S. EPA Region 8, Montana Office Montana Tech Library Butte EPA Office |
Citizens Technical Environmental Committee
Citizens Technical Environmental Committee (CTEC) Web site
Butte Restoration Alliance
Butte Restoration Alliance Web site |