Protecting People’s Health

Cutting off exposure to mining toxins – arsenic cadmium copper lead zinc mercury

Health & Home

Over the past 150 years, mining in Butte created wealth but left toxic metals in the waste rock piles, residential soil, streams and groundwater.. Major health risks come from heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury. The Superfund cleanup prioritizes reducing human exposure to these toxins, a major focus for community health.

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How to Keep Healthy in a Superfund Community

If you have kids, get their blood lead levels tested. Learn more about lead poisoning prevention.

Have your property tested by the Residential Metals Abatement Program (RMAP)

Attend EPA and CTEC public meetings

Protecting Health

Four programs that ensure your family is protected from mining contamination

Residential Metals Abatement Program

RMAP will test your home and property and clean it up if necessary. If interested please call (406) 497-5040.

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Blood Lead Testing and Medical Monitoring

We recommend free blood lead testing for children and expectant mothers. Results help guide the RMAP cleanup. Call (406) 497-5003.

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Before
After
City-Wide Mine Waste Capping

Since the late 1980s, Atlantic Richfield has capped waste dumps near uptown communities because of high arsenic or lead levels, reclaiming over 600 acres. Caps are inspected every four years for stability and vegetation.

Butte’s Clean Drinking Water Service

Silver Bow Creek and the local aquifer are unfit to drink because of mining contamination, but thanks to having three sources of good water, modern water treatment facilities and an upgraded distribution center Butte claims the best drinking water in Montana.

Mythbusting

Myths and misperceptions about Butte
Myth: “Butte’s water comes from the Pit”

Fact: Butte’s water sources are Moulton Reservoir, Basin Creek Reservoir, Big Hole River. Butte’s water does not come from the Berkeley Pit.

Myth: “Mining dust threatens our air quality.”

Fact: Most of Butte’s fine air particles (PM 2.5) are from wood smoke, such as forest fires in the summer or wood stoves in the winter. Airborne dust from mining consists of large particles that are prevented from reaching the lower respiratory tract by the natural filtration process.

Myth: “It’s not safe to grow a vegetable garden in Butte’s soil”

Fact: Through the contaminated soil and insulation replacement program, if your yard soil is above the contamination level, it will be replaced at no cost to you. Not all of Butte’s soil is toxic. By replacing contaminated soils, when applicable, you can grow an edible garden.

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What’s New

Superfund updates.
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