Waste Management Bureau | Pacific Steel and Recycling | Shepherd, MT
To comply with the Montana Environmental Policy Act, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) prepared a final environmental assessment (Final EA) regarding the construction of a landfill seven miles north of Billings, Montana.
Pacific Steel and Recycling (PSR) proposed a 320-acre site that would border US Highway 87 to the east and Shepherd Acton Road to the south and be located six miles west of Shepherd and seven miles north of Billings, in Yellowstone County, Montana. Of the 320 total acre site, only 90 acres are planned for auto shred residual disposal activities.
DEQ published a draft EA for a public comment period that started October 20, 2023, and ended November 30, 2023. Notification was sent to adjacent landowners and other interested parties that requested to be notified. A press release announcing the draft EA’s availability was sent out on October 20, 2023, and the EA, along with PSR’s application, was posted on DEQ’s website.
DEQ held a public meeting at Shepherd High School Gymnasium on November 21, 2023, to present information about the Proposed Action. The meeting consisted of an open house, a presentation, and a Q&A session.
DEQ received 363 submissions with comments covering several topics from the draft EA and Proposed Action. There were comments both in support and in opposition to the Proposed Action. DEQ read, summarized, combined, and considered the substantive elements from the comments. These responses can be found in Section 6 of the Final EA.
The Proposed Action is approved. PSR proposes to begin construction of this facility on June 17, 2024, with completion projected by January 1, 2025.
A community meeting will be held to provide information on DEQ’s decision. A public notice with details about the meeting will follow in the coming weeks.
Thank you for your participation in this process. If you have questions about this notice, please contact the DEQ Solid Waste Program at 406-444-5300 or deqswprogram@mt.gov.
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Tags: MEPA, Public Notice and Solid Waste