EPA presents East Helena, Montana partners with Superfund Reuse award
Montana Environmental Trust Group recognized for transformation of the East Helena Superfund site
East Helena, Mont. -- At a ceremony today at Prickly Pear Elementary School in East Helena, Mont., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator Gregory Sopkin presented representatives from the Montana Environmental Trust Group with EPA’s Excellence in Site Reuse Award for efforts to advance the cleanup and revitalization of the East Helena Superfund site. EPA also recognized a host of federal, state and local partners who have contributed to the transformation of the site, which serves as a national example of the environmental and economic outcomes being realized by EPA and its partners through EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Initiative.
“This year, EPA is marking the 20th Anniversary of the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative by recognizing the people and communities that demonstrate the very best of what can happen when we work together to clean up contaminated sites and get them back into productive reuse,” said EPA Regional Administrator Gregory Sopkin. “The new schools, residential neighborhoods, and trail networks we celebrate today reflect the hard work and vision of the Montana Environmental Trust Group and the many partners who have been critical to the transformation of the East Helena Superfund site.”
"METG and our East Helena stakeholders are honored and grateful for EPA Region 8's recognition of the partnerships that have shaped the successful revitalization of former ASARCO lands. We are particularly grateful to EPA for its leadership and support for the community-backed reuse and renewal of the East Helena Superfund Site," said Cindy Brooks, managing principal of the Montana Environmental Trust Group LLC (METG), trustee of the Montana Environmental Custodial Trust.
EPA was joined at the ceremony by East Helena Mayor James Schell in recognizing several other partners who have contributed to the cleanup and revitalization of the Superfund site. These include representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, the Montana Department of Justice Natural Resource Damage Program, Lewis and Clark County Environmental Health Services Division, the City of East Helena, East Helena Public Schools and the Prickly Pear Land Trust.
These awards recognize the teamwork and partnerships that have led to the successful remediation and redevelopment of former ASARCO properties in East Helena. Lands impacted by over 100 years of lead smelting operations are being transformed into new schools, residential subdivisions and trail networks.
For more on the East Helena Superfund site: https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0800377
For more on EPA’s Superfund Redevelopment Initiative: https://www.epa.gov/superfund-redevelopment-initiative