All environmental cleanup work completed by Montana Environmental Trust Group (METG) in East Helena was performed under EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action Program.
Background
In 1998, EPA issued a Consent Decree (CD) to ASARCO to transfer responsibility for ongoing remedial activities at the then-operating East Helena Smelter Facility (Facility) from its Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA, also known as Superfund) program to its RCRA Corrective Action program.
In 2009, METG was appointed trustee for the Montana Environmental Custodial Trust as part of ASARCO’S bankruptcy settlement. In 2012, a modification to the 1998 Consent Decree transferred responsibility for completing the RCRA Corrective Action cleanup to METG.
Initial METG Studies
Building on the Phase I RCRA Facility Investigation (RFI) and other corrective actions performed by ASARCO, METG performed a Phase II RFI to complete characterization of the Facility and surrounding, former ASARCO properties. METG also conducted an initial assessment of potential human health and ecological risk posed by Facility conditions.
These two evaluations confirmed metals from 100+ years of smelter operation were present in soil and groundwater at concentrations exceeding EPA screening levels established to protect human health and the environment.