- Montana Environmental Trust Group

One look at year-over-year maps showing the underground arsenic and selenium plumes emanating from the old Asarco site in East Helena are enough to give residents, let alone environmental officials in charge of the cleanup, a great deal of pause.

Individual maps dating back a few years show “fingered” plumes reaching out toward the valley like a hand from the Asarco site. Stacked together, the maps collectively make it look like the elevated levels of arsenic and selenium are expanding, and quickly.

But looks can be deceiving, and the truth is as opaque as the big pile of black slag sitting there at the site of the former lead smelter.

Groundwater Investigation: Elusive elements

November 21, 2010

By EVE BYRON Independent Record | Posted: Sunday, November 21

As the yard removal portion of the Asarco cleanup effort in East Helena is winding down, work on dealing with the arsenic and selenium plumes is just gearing up.

While the Environmental Protection Agency has known for a decade that the underground arsenic plume is flowing from the former lead-smelting plant toward one of East Helena’s city water wells and individual wells in the Helena valley, it hasn’t come up with a solution for dealing with it. Muddying the arsenic-plume situation was the discovery in 2006 of a plume of selenium in the groundwater that’s moving in the same general direction.

Asarco led the plume monitoring and analyzing effort in conjunction with the EPA, with thousands of water samples analyzed. But now that Asarco no longer is in the picture due to a year-old bankruptcy agreement, the EPA and the newly formed Montana Environmental Custodial Trust have brought in a trio of new faces to figure out what’s been done in the past, where data is missing, and how to move forward with a permanent solution that will protect the community’s health.

Former Company Housing Demolition: ASARCO homes to be demolished

November 10, 2010

By EVE BYRON Independent Record | Posted: Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Former Asarco-owned residences in East Helena are being demolished as part of the ongoing cleanup effort.

As soon as NorthWestern Energy cuts all power to the homes on South Montana Avenue, adjacent to the former lead smelter site, all but one of the eight structures there will be torn down, according to Cindy Brooks, who heads the Montana Environmental Custodial Trust. The trust was created to hold on to Asarco’s Montana properties until they’re sold under a settlement agreement with the bankrupt company.

The former Asarco manager’s house, built in 1888, may be eligible for listing on the National Registry of Historic Places and might be restored as some type of museum or community center.