East Helena residents learn more from EPA, others about soil cleanup plan

The EPA announced March 5 that it was making nearly $40 million available through President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to pay for East Helena residential yard cleanup in an effort to eradicate soil and groundwater contamination caused by more than a century of smelting lead, zinc and other metals at the former ASARCO smelter.

According to a 2016 report by the EPA, the Superfund site consists of the 140-acre former lead smelter facility and about 2,000 acres around the property. These 2,000 acres include the City of East Helena, residential subdivisions, rural residences and farms, and undeveloped lands.

In January, the EPA said it finalized what it called an "explanation of significant differences" document that lowers the soil-lead cleanup level at the East Helena Superfund Site from 500 parts per million to 400 ppm. The new language also removes the 1,000 ppm cleanup action level previously used to trigger yard cleanups at the site.

The EPA recently announced it was lowering the screening level for soil-lead in residential yards to 200 ppm, or to 100 ppm if there are multiple sources of lead contamination.

Officials said Monday they will now assess what the new national soil-lead guidance means for the East Helena site.

Some in the room after the nearly hourlong meeting said while the discussion was good and EPA staff had been forthcoming, the new federal lower standards cast uncertainty. One described it as a "moving target."

Monday’s meeting, in which the tone throughout was civil, was to discuss the project and answer questions from the public.

Bridget Williams, EPA remedial project manager, said all properties within the site boundary will qualify for yard cleanup. She also said any property above 400 ppm will be eligible for cleanup and properties where children live would be priority No. 1 as well as those with gardens.

Officials said some cleanup would start this summer, and a contractor would be on board and cleanup would likely last for about 10 years. It would be overseen by the EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

“We are going to be doing this thoughtfully,” Williams said. “We’ll take our time to make sure we are doing it right.”

She said anything broken during the remediation, such as sprinklers or bushes, would be repaired.

“If we break it, we will fix it,” Williams said.

People at the meeting were told by Beth Norberg of Lewis and Clark Public Health that there were simple steps they could take to avoid tracking lead into their homes, such as wiping their feet at the door.

She also encouraged people to get annual blood-lead testing, which the government would pay for.

Residents were told that any soil being hauled into to East Helena for remediation would be tested for lead and arsenic.

For more on the EPA’s East Helena Superfund site, go to: https://bit.ly/3TyBVSU