Public Notice: EPA Begins Seventh Five-Year Review of Anaconda Co. Smelter Superfund Site
Summary
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting the seventh five-year review of the Anaconda Co. Smelter Superfund Site in Deer Lodge County, Montana. Five-year reviews provide an opportunity to evaluate the implementation and performance of a remedy to determine whether it remains protective of human health and the environment. The seventh five-year review will be completed in 2025.
The 209-square-mile site is in the southern end of the Deer Lodge Valley, and includes the towns of Anaconda and Opportunity. Smelter operations and ore processing activities from 1884 to 1980 resulted in airborne emissions of arsenic and metals into the environment over a large area. The site became a Superfund site when it was added to the National Priorities List in 1983. The Site’s cleanup has included cleaning up residential and commercial properties, monitoring residents’ blood lead levels, testing and cleaning up water supplies, removing and consolidating waste, covering contaminated areas with caps, building new wetlands, and relocating the residents of Mill Creek. Operation and maintenance activities are ongoing.
We want to hear from you! Community members are encouraged to share information that may be helpful in the five-year review process.
Review the Anaconda Co. Smelter Superfund Site website for more site information.
Previous Site Review
The previous five-year review found that completed remedies at the site were protective of human health and the environment. Cleanup activities continue to address exposure pathways to reduce the potential for contact with contaminants like lead and arsenic. These cleanups will be evaluated in the 7th five-year review.
- Fact Sheet: Sixth Five-Year Review (pdf) (2 pp, 957 K, About PDF)
- Sixth Five-Year Review (pdf) (138 pp, 12.4 MB)