Contacts:

Charles Van Otten, vanotten.charles@epa.gov, 720-245-1486

Dana Barnicoat, barnicoat.dana@epa.gov, 406-560-6261

BUTTE, Mont. (July 26, 2023) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $150,000 Technical Assistance Grant (TAG) for the Butte Citizens Technical Environmental Committee (CTEC) to expand public communication about cleanup of the Silver Bow Creek and Montana Pole Treatment Superfund sites.

TAGs provide funding for independent experts to interact with all stakeholders involved in the cleanup project and share what they learn from that public engagement. CTEC will use about $50,000 of this grant to create a website presenting details about the cleanup. The remaining $100,000 will further fund the technical advisors that help interpret Superfund documents and disseminate scientific information to the Butte community in plain language.

“This TAG funding is an example of EPA’s commitment to our relationship with the people of Butte,” said KC Becker, EPA Regional Administrator. “While we are working on our own initiatives to increase communication and transparency, we want to ensure the community’s priorities are consistently amplified through CTEC’s independent and focused support.”

Butte’s Superfund cleanup area is extensive and remediation activities are technically and scientifically complex. CTEC has received TAG funding to help the Butte community understand Superfund activities since 1991. The newly awarded grant contributes to the $1.5 million EPA provided to CTEC over the past three decades.

“CTEC appreciates EPA’s recent grant approval for our role in reviewing and explaining to the Butte community the ongoing work at both the Montana Pole Plant and Butte Area, Silver Bow Creek,” said David Williams, CTEC President. “We will continue to host public presentations and listening sessions in addition to developing an updated and more comprehensive website. CTEC is working with our technical consultant to assure transparency regarding all aspects of the ongoing remedy design and construction work.”

EPA encourages community involvement activities in Butte throughout the Superfund process. The key goals of community involvement are to ensure that community members affected by a Superfund site are aware of EPA's activities, have opportunities to influence site cleanup and reuse decisions and know their concerns are considered in the site decision-making process.

The public can visit the EPA Community Involvement Tools and Resources website to learn about the clean-up process, see dates to attend community meetings and find other ways to become involved.

To learn more, please contact Dana Barnicoat at barnicoat.dana@epa.gov and Charles Van Otten at vanotten.charles@epa.gov.