EPA says asbestos cleanup of rail areas is complete
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced on Aug. 17 that another portion of the Libby Asbestos Superfund site has been deleted from EPA’s National Priorities List.
EPA and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality have determined that no additional cleanup activities are needed at Operable Unit 6 (OU6) of the site, meaning it can be removed from the list. The site is comprised of BNSF-owned and operated rail yards in the towns of Libby and Troy and approximately 41 miles of railroad right-of-way.
“This is the fourth time in four years we have removed a section of the site from the National Priorities List, since no additional EPA cleanup is needed,” EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker said. “This milestone marks half of the Operable Units being deleted from the National Priorities List and demonstrates the progress EPA and our partners have made in the cleanup and restoration of properties in Libby.”
The Libby Asbestos Superfund site was placed on agency’s National Priorities List in 2002 due to high levels of Libby Amphibole asbestos in and around the communities of Libby and Troy.
The site is divided into eight Operable Units. The following units have already been deleted and include OU1 (the Former Export Plant, 2022), OU2 (the Former Screening Plant, 2019), and OU8 (30 miles of roads and right-of-way, 2021).
“The deletion of OU6 from the National Priorities List is another accomplishment for the Libby Asbestos Superfund site and for Lincoln County. It’s always a celebratory day when DEQ and the EPA can announce that a portion of a Superfund site is cleaned up and protective of human health,” DEQ Federal Superfund and Construction Bureau Chief Matt Dorrington said.
EPA is deleting OU6 from the Superfund National Priorities List based on a determination that no further remediation action is needed to protect human health and the environment in this section.
The area will continue to be subject to operation and maintenance activities, including regular reviews for protectiveness.
“This announcement from the EPA demonstrates the two decades of extensive work that has gone into cleanup activities at the Libby Superfund site. While our job isn’t over yet, this is a significant milestone, and I’m glad to see progress being made towards protecting the health of Montanans in the area,” U.S. Senator Steve Daines said.
The EPA, along with support from DEQ, will continue to address contamination concerns at remaining Operable Units of the Libby Asbestos site, which includes the former mine site (OU3). In addition, Operable Units 4, 5 and 7 remain on the list.
A feasibility study is currently in progress for Operable Unit 3 to evaluate potential cleanup alternatives.