EPA begins cleanup at Rumsey Mill in Montana
HELENA, Mont. – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing the start of a time-critical removal action at the Rumsey Mill site in Philipsburg, Montana, to address heavy metals contamination from historical mining and milling activities. The cleanup will reduce the risk of contaminated material spreading.
“The cleanup at Rumsey Mill demonstrates how targeted action can make a real difference for communities impacted by contamination,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western. "EPA is proud to begin this important cleanup at Rumsey Mill and to work alongside local partners to address historic mining contamination, reducing human health risks today and improving conditions for the future."
“Trout Unlimited (TU) has worked with representatives of Granite County for years to study metals contamination on Fred Burr Creek and has been invested in fisheries restoration and reclamation in the Upper Clark Fork River watershed for more than two decades,” said Trout Unlimited Senior Project Manager Rob Roberts. “This cleanup project at the Rumsey Mill site is an important first step for Fred Burr Creek and should help reduce the level of mercury and other metals at the source. TU looks forward to seeing these necessary improvements completed by the EPA and working with the local community to evaluate if future projects would further improve water quality, fisheries, and impacts to public health.”
EPA is committed to accelerating and completing Superfund cleanup work, as part of the Superfund Solutions initiative. This forward-looking effort renews focus on EPA’s core mission of protecting human health and the environment, while getting more sites to the finish line faster. The time-critical removal at the Rumsey Mill site will reduce risks to nearby residents, domestic wells and Fred Burr Creek, while also improving long-term water quality, habitat conditions and the overall stability of the site. EPA’s Site Assessment program performed an expanded site inspection in 2021, and additional sampling identified elevated levels of arsenic, lead and mercury at the former mill site as well as in tailings material that had been deposited downstream. EPA determined that contaminated material continues to migrate off site, creating potential risks to human health and the environment.
The cleanup will include excavation of contaminated areas containing elevated levels of arsenic, lead and mercury. The excavated material will be transported to a nearby repository at the former mill site, where it will be capped, armored and protected with erosion controls. EPA will also backfill, stabilize and revegetate excavated areas with native seed to improve drainage and support long-term site stability. Additional work will include mine waste consolidation, surface water controls and restoration of the riparian corridor along Fred Burr Creek.
These actions are intended to improve the health of Fred Burr Creek by substantially reducing the ongoing release of mercury and arsenic into Fred Burr Creek. Additional work will include mine waste consolidation, surface water controls and restoration of the riparian corridor along Fred Burr Creek. Together, these measures are expected to reduce the spread of contamination and improve ecological conditions in and around the watershed.
Portions of the cleanup area will occur along the Fred Burr Creek bank. Final restoration of these areas will be coordinated with Trout Unlimited, a non-profit organization that is committed to mine reclamation, stream restoration and other activities that improve fisheries, water quality and watershed health.
EPA expects cleanup work to be completed by November 30, 2026.
Background
The Rumsey Mill Site, an abandoned mill site in the Philipsburg Mining District, is located within the Fred Burr Creek watershed in Philipsburg, Montana. Historical mining and milling operations associated with the site released metals including lead, arsenic and mercury into the surrounding area.
EPA's Site Assessment program performed an expanded site inspection (ESI) in 2021, and EPA’s Removal program completed additional sampling in 2023 and 2024, which identified elevated levels of arsenic, lead and mercury at the former mill site as well as an ongoing release to Fred Burr Creek. Sampling also found that the contaminated material has been migrating downslope into and along Fred Burr Creek. Based on these results, EPA's Removal Program is taking action to secure the ongoing release to protect human health and the environment.