About Us
This page provides administrative information about the Remediation Division including:Organizational Structure, Business Processes, Goals and Objectives, Activities, Accomplishments, and Annual Reports and Brochures.
Goals and Objectives for the 2013 Biennium include:
- Identify timely, cost effective, environmentally sound, and legally defensible remedial actions needed at contaminated sites addressed under Montana’s remediation laws and applicable federal requirements.
- Assess sites and responsible or liable parties in order to require or conduct appropriate investigations and to oversee or conduct cleanup actions to restore contaminated sites to a level that prevents exposure to hazardous substances that have been released to soil, sediment, surface water, or groundwater.
- Prioritize sites for cleanup actions by evaluating risks to public health, public safety and the environment through initial sampling, field studies, or research.
- Facilitate and encourage timely and consistent decisions for site cleanups by developing and maintaining rules, cleanup standards, and guidance.
- Develop and enhance voluntary cleanup programs to increase number of voluntary cleanups and streamline the voluntary cleanup process.
- Encourage “Green Remediation,” the practice of considering environmental impacts of remediation activities at every stage of the remedial process in order to maximize the net environmental benefit of a cleanup and the use of renewable energy systems.
- Communicate effectively and clearly in a timely fashion with liable or responsible persons, affected parties, applicable government agencies, and the public.
- Communicate and coordinate with other agencies, local governments, and citizens by responding to inquiries and requests for information and providing brochures to the public that explain regulatory changes or guidelines for preventing or abating hazardous or deleterious substance releases to the environment.
- Provide for public participation in the evaluation and selection of cleanup alternatives for sites with hazardous or deleterious substance releases by holding public meetings and soliciting comments on remedial plans and reports.
- Provide education and outreach to regulated entities through websites, onsite visits, telephone assistance, public meetings, brochures, fact sheets, and public-service announcements.
- Provide technical and management assistance to federal agencies as appropriate conduct coordinated remedial investigations and cleanup where responsibilities overlap.
- Ensure enforcement actions are taken when responsible parties fail to address risk and fulfill cleanup responsibilities.
- Meet financial responsibilities, and manage records and data in a timely and effective manner.
- Recover costs, as required, for investigation and cleanup of sites by maintaining detailed records of work completed and costs incurred for that work, and by billing the responsible parties for those costs.
- Manage contracts and grants in accordance with applicable state and federal requirements.
- Maintain data and geographic information systems to facilitate program management, to support design and cleanup actions, and to track active and closed sites appropriately.
- Participate in liability allocations for sites undergoing an orphan share allocation and oversee appropriate reimbursement of private parties conducting cleanup.
Remediation Division activities include:
- characterizing the nature and extent of contamination, identifying the affected media and environmental impacts, and evaluating potential remedial alternatives and associated costs;
- selecting, designing, and implementing remedial actions;
- involving local governments and the public in selecting and implementing cleanup actions, including the development of and coordination through technical and citizens advisory committees;
- providing the legal framework for responsible parties to conduct cleanups with oversight from the various programs within the division.
For some sites, the Remediation Division retains independent technical experts to support the decision-making process, and engineering consultants and construction contractors to accomplish investigation, remediation, and construction work. The division works closely with the state Petroleum Tank Release Compensation Board, which provides financial assistance for cleaning up petroleum-contaminated LUST sites.
Examples of Remediation Division accomplishments include:
- Cleanup of the Libby Barrel Site (CECRA Program)
- Cleanup of the Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex (CECRA Program)
- Cleanup of the American Dental Site (CECRA Program)
- Cleanup of the Montana Rail Link Asbestos (CECRA Program)
- Cleanup of the Montana Power Company (MPC)Manufactured Gas Plant (CECRA Program)
- Activities at the Montana Pole NPL Site (CERCLA Program)
- Additional accomplishments for the state and federal Superfund and Abandoned Mine Reclamation Programs can be found here:
- Cleaning Up Montana -- Superfund Accomplishments 1983 - 1996 (PDF format*).
- Montana - Bringing the Land Back to Life (PDF format*).
Annual Reports:
Brochures:
