News Releases from Region 08

Partial deletion of Anaconda Superfund site represents major cleanup milestone

EPA’s renewed focus on Superfund program securing healthier communities in Montana

ANACONDA, Mont. – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a partial deletion of the Anaconda Co. Smelter site from Superfund’s National Priorities List (NPL), benefitting the environment, the community of Anaconda, and the people of Montana. This partial deletion includes three operable units (OUs), OUs 9, 11, and 12, of the site. NPL site deletions help communities move forward in reusing and redeveloping the land by making it clear that cleanup is complete.

“These partial deletions at the Anaconda Superfund Site are the result of our dedicated focus to improve the human health and the environment for the community of Anaconda and the people of Montana,” said EPA Associate Deputy Administrator Doug Benevento. “We remain focused on finishing the job at Superfund sites around the country by expediting cleanup and, as a result, deleting full and partial sites from the National Priorities List.”

“This partial deletion of these operable units represents a major milestone in the continued cleanup of the Anaconda Co. Smelter Superfund site,” said EPA Regional Administrator Greg Sopkin. “EPA will continue to work with all our partners to ensure that our cleanup actions benefit the community of Anaconda now and in the future.”

EPA deletes sites or parts of sites from the NPL when no further cleanup is required to protect human health or the environment. Years, and sometimes decades, of complex investigation and cleanup work has gone into getting these sites to where they are today. This important milestone indicates to communities that cleanup is complete and that sites are protective of human health and the environment.

While EPA encourages site reuse throughout the cleanup process, deletions from the NPL can help revitalize communities and promote economic growth by signaling to potential developers and financial institutions that cleanup is complete. Over the past several years, the agency has focused on streamlining the deletion process and increasing the number of opportunities to demonstrate to communities that cleanup is complete.

Additional information on the Anaconda Co. Smelter Superfund site: www.epa.gov/superfund/anaconda-co-smelter

Additional information about EPA’s NPL deletions: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/superfund/deleted-national-priorities-list-npl-sites-state

To search for information about these and other NPL sites, visit: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live