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EPA To Hear Public Comments On Butte Cleanup

Butte-Silver Bow County's Superfund Coordinator Jon Sesso stands in front of the overlook at Foreman's Park in Butte in June 2018.
Nora Saks
/
Montana Public Radio

Thursday night the EPA is taking public comment in Butte for the second time on the agency’s proposed changes to the Superfund cleanup plan for the Butte Hill and Upper Silver Bow Creek.

EPA released its “proposed plan” in April. It recommends some fundamental changes to the 2006 legally binding Superfund cleanup plan. That includes expanding stormwater capture and treatment, replacing some state water quality standards with federal ones in Butte’s creeks, and capping more mine waste.

Here's Superfund coordinator for Butte-Silver Bow County Jon Sesso.

Butte-Silver Bow County's Superfund Coordinator Jon Sesso stands in front of the overlook at Foreman's Park  in Butte in June 2018.
Credit Nora Saks / Montana Public Radio
/
Montana Public Radio
Butte-Silver Bow County's Superfund Coordinator Jon Sesso stands in front of the overlook at Foreman's Park in Butte in June 2018.

"In my time — I’ve been at it for almost thirty years now — getting the federal government, the state government, the local government and the PRP on the same page, on a plan, on how to move forward with completing this complex cleanup is quite the milestone."

While the four parties might be on the same page, EPA wants to know what locals think, and will take comments Thursday night from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at a meeting at the Montana Tech Library Auditorium. The comment period ends June 11.

Find more details on Thursday's meeting.

Copyright 2020 Montana Public Radio. To see more, visit Montana Public Radio.

Nora Saks is a freelance radio and print journalist investigating themes of environmental justice in the Crown of the Continent and beyond.