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Case Summary: Soco West, Inc. to cleanup portion of Lockwood Solvent Ground Water Plume Site, Mont.

Lockwood Solvents Superfund Site Settlement Resources
Consent Decree (available from Additional Reports and Documents Collection on site profile page)
USAO-Montana Press Release dated October 3, 2011

On October 3, 2011, the United States District Court, District of Montana, Billings Division (Court) approved a remedial design/remedial action consent decree (RD/RA CD) between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Montana, and Soco West, Inc. The settlement addresses cleanup work and payment of past and future costs (totaling more than $7 million) at the lower half (operable unit 2) of the Lockwood Solvent Ground Water Plume Site, located in Billings, Mont.

On this page:

  • Information about the Company
  • Information about the Lockwood Solvent Ground Water Plume Superfund Site
  • Overview of the Consent Decree
  • Comment Period
  • Contact Information

Information about the Company

Soco West, Inc. is the successor of Brenntag West, Inc. and Dyce Chemical, which operated a chemical repackaging and distribution plant in operable unit 2, the portion of the site that is this subject of the settlement.

Information about the Lockwood Solvent Ground Water Plume Superfund Site

The Lockwood Solvent Ground Water Plume Superfund Site spans 580 acres on the outskirts of Billings, Mont. Much of the groundwater at the site is contaminated with the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) PCE, TCE, cis-1,2-dichlorethene (DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC). These chemicals are hazardous to human health.

The primary sources of contamination are from the Beall Trailers of Montana and Soco West facilities. The VOCs leached from the grounds of the two facilities into groundwater serving as potable water for some of Lockwood’s residents. These VOCs can also disperse as vapor and enter the indoor air of buildings. More information on the Lockwood Solvent Ground Water Plume Superfund Site is available from the Region 8 website.

Overview of the Consent Decree

Under the consent decree, Soco West will perform remedial cleanup work valued at $6,960,000; reimburse EPA for past response costs in the amount of $750,000; provide financial assurance for the cost of the cleanup work; and reimburse EPA and the State of Montana for all future oversight costs. The cleanup plan for the site includes, but is not limited to, treatment of contaminated soil and groundwater. On 11/3/2011, Soco West paid $750,000 (100% of the past response costs per the CD for RD/RA).

Comment Period

The consent decree, filed with the court on August 18, 2011, was subject to a 30-day public comment period before it was subsequently approved by the court.

Contact Information

For more information contact:

Michelle Marcu
Enforcement Attorney
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
MC-8ENF-L
Denver, Colorado 80202-1129
303-312-6921

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Last updated on September 19, 2025
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