What is Superfund?
Superfund is the federal program that addresses contaminated sites across the United States. Understanding what it is — and what it is not — helps make sense of the cleanup in Butte.
The basics
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), passed by Congress in 1980.
The law created a process and funding mechanism to clean up sites contaminated by hazardous substances. It gives the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) authority to identify contaminated sites, determine who is responsible, and ensure cleanup happens.
What Superfund IS
A cleanup program. Superfund exists to protect human health and the environment by cleaning up contaminated sites.
A liability framework. The law holds responsible parties accountable for cleanup costs. In Butte, Atlantic Richfield (ARCO) is the primary responsible party as successor to the Anaconda Company.
A structured process. Superfund follows defined steps: site assessment, listing on the National Priorities List, investigation, selection of a remedy, cleanup, and long-term monitoring.
A source of expertise. The EPA brings technical resources, oversight, and enforcement authority to ensure cleanups meet protective standards.
What Superfund is NOT
Not a punishment. Superfund is not about punishing communities. It's a mechanism to address contamination that poses risks to health and environment.
Not a stigma. Being on the Superfund list means a community is getting help to address serious contamination — not that residents are in immediate danger.
Not a reason to avoid Butte. The Superfund designation brought resources and expertise to address contamination that existed long before the law was passed. Cleanup makes the community safer, not more dangerous.
Not instant. Superfund cleanups take years or decades. The contamination in Butte accumulated over more than a century of mining — it cannot be undone overnight.
The National Priorities List
Sites with the most serious contamination are placed on the National Priorities List (NPL). The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area was added to the NPL in 1983.
Being on the NPL means a site qualifies for federal cleanup funds and EPA oversight. It also means responsible parties can be compelled to pay for cleanup.
How Superfund works in Butte
The Butte area is divided into multiple "operable units" — separate geographic or functional areas that can be addressed individually while still being part of the larger site.
Different operable units are at different stages of cleanup. Some have completed major construction. Others are in long-term monitoring. Some have ongoing work.
Living in a Superfund community
Millions of Americans live near Superfund sites. Being informed about contamination, cleanup progress, and practical precautions is more useful than fear.
The goal of Superfund is to make communities safer. In Butte, that means removing contaminated soil from yards, treating contaminated water, and restoring damaged ecosystems.