Superfund wastes in Butte will need more than one repository

DUNCAN ADAMS

Atlantic Richfield/BP confirmed Saturday that wastes excavated from sites along Silver Bow Creek in Butte will require more than one place to land.

“More than one repository location will be needed to dispose of waste materials excavated from the Silver Bow Creek Conservation Area project areas,” the company said in an email.

One key reason, according to Atlantic Richfield/BP, is the array of wastes that will likely be encountered in those areas. And if the contaminated Berkeley Pit gets a green light from EPA and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality as one repository site its unique geochemistry might exclude certain types of wastes.

Atlantic Richfield/BP said EPA has approved collecting additional data to characterize the wastes in the Silver Bow Creek Corridor. Sites in the corridor include Diggings East, Northside Tailings, the Butte Reduction Works and others. One estimate has suggested roughly 850,000 cubic yards of material contaminated with heavy metals and other wastes would be excavated from sites in the corridor.

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“This additional data collection is in response to the consideration of the Berkeley Pit as a potential repository location,” Atlantic Richfield/BP said. “Data collected from

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