Remedial Work at Diggings East Begins - US EPA

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Remedial Work at Diggings East Begins - US EPA

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the start of major cleanup work at Diggings East, one of the largest remaining corridor projects in the Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (BPSOU). The project involves excavating and disposing of approximately 345,000 cubic yards of contaminated soils, tailings, and municipal waste from an unpermitted municipal landfill at Kaw Avenue and George Street in Butte, Montana. The waste will be hauled to the Butte Mine Waste Repository (BMWR). The massive project, conducted in partnership with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Butte-Silver Bow, and Atlantic Richfield Company, is projected to take about four years to complete and will ultimately incorporate stormwater basins and community amenities like accessible trails.

Published 2026-09-29 02:55:55 UTC · Published by JQJO

Prepared by Yusra M. · AI assisted

More context

Timeline

On September 8 1983 EPA placed Silver Bow Creek on the Superfund National Priorities List.
On January 1 1987 The Butte area was added to the Superfund National Priorities List.
On January 30 2026 Superfund work at Diggings East was slated to begin following repository approval.
On June 1 2026 EPA updated current site status reports for BPSOU corridor projects.
On August 31 2026 Preliminary staging work at Diggings East officially began.
On September 22 2026 EPA approved the updated 2026 Record of Decision Amendment for BPSOU.
On September 28 2026 EPA announced the official start of remediation work at Diggings East.
On September 29 2026 Federal and state agencies released comprehensive project execution updates.

Why it matters

Immediate US impact: Local residents will observe increased heavy machinery activity and waste hauling trucks. Possible long-term US impact: Remediation improves watershed health, ecological safety, and community recreational infrastructure. Most affected groups: Butte residents, local municipal authorities, environmental regulators, and project contractors. Reader priority: Monitor project milestones and local traffic advisories during waste hauling operations.

Coverage notes

Left: Outlets emphasize environmental justice, watershed protection, and long-term public health safeguards. Center: Coverage neutrally reports official agency milestones, excavation statistics, and multi-agency cooperation. Right: Reports focus on industrial project execution, repository capacity management, and regional economic stability.