EPA proposes risk reduction plan for Billings PCE site
A public meeting and official comment period will be held for the plan
BILLINGS, Mont. – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed plan to mitigate health risks at the Billings PCE Superfund site. This proposal recommends installing mitigation systems in homes and businesses within the site boundaries to reduce exposure to harmful chemical vapors.
“This proposed plan is a major first step in the Superfund process to reduce health risks and clean up contamination,” said EPA Regional Administrator Cyrus Western. “It demonstrates EPA’s commitment to our core mission of protecting human health and the environment, delivering direct benefits for those who live, work and go to school in the Billings area.”
The proposed systems consist of pipes and a fan that channel vapors from a building’s basement to the outside. These systems remove chemical vapors from indoor air and beneath building foundations, significantly reducing health risks associated with chemicals such as PCE. EPA’s proposed plan will provide protection for people while EPA does a longer study of the site and develops a plan to remove or contain the contamination in the soil and groundwater.
Under the proposal, EPA will be responsible for the equipment, installation and maintenance of the systems. Building owners will cover the electricity cost, comparable to running a 75-watt lightbulb continuously.
A public meeting is scheduled for August 27, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. at the Billings Public Library. The comment period is open today through September 26, 2025.
Following a public comment period, EPA will write a response to comments, questions and issues raised by the community and release a final plan called an Interim Record of Decision.
Background
The Billings PCE Superfund site covers 1,100 acres and runs through several neighborhoods east of downtown Billings. The site was contaminated in the past with PCE and other chemicals from dry cleaners and industrial sources. The chemicals from these businesses are in the soil and groundwater in parts of the city. Chemical vapors can build up under building foundations and possibly let small amounts of vapors into the indoor air. The mitigation systems vents these vapors outside the building, reducing the risk to people inside.
The proposed plan and supporting documents are available for public review at the Billings Public Library at 510 N Broadway, Billings, Montana, 59101, and on the EPA’s Billings PCE Superfund Site webpage.