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Cleanup of land around E. Helena smelter nears end

By The Associated Press

Story Created: Mar 17, 2010 at 5:53 AM MST

Story Updated: Mar 17, 2010 at 5:53 AM MST

HELENA - The almost two-decades-old effort to remove soil contaminated by a lead smelter in East Helena is expected to wrap up this summer. But additional sampling will continue at the plant site.

Scott Brown is the EPA's project manager for the work outside the former Asarco site. He says about 50 residential yards in and around the city, plus some unpaved roadways, road aprons and a section of rail line, still need to be cleaned up.

The smelter operated for more than a century, emitting smoke laden with lead and other heavy metals from its stacks. The smoke settled in nearby soil, leading to high levels of lead in the blood of children who played in the dirt around their homes.

East Helena was listed as a federal Superfund site in 1984, and Asarco has spent more than $100 million in environmental cleanup in the community since then. Asarco has been cleaning up land outside the site since 1991.

The 140-acre plant operated until 2001, but wasn't officially shut down until last year.

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