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  • Can I leave my car or other vehicles on my property while I am away?

    The cleaning team will need workspace outside of your home or place of business to set up trailers and equipment. If it is determined that your vehicles need to be moved, you should arrange to temporarily remove them from your property.

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  • What happens to my belongings during the cleaning?

    The items you leave on your property and inside your home or place of business will remain where you left them and will not be removed.

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  • Do settlement communications, such as past “agreements in principle,” impact the implementation of the final Consent Decrees?

    The parties are bound by the terms of the various final, publicly available consent decrees. These consent decrees were made available for public comment before they were finalized and entered by the Court. Past settlement communications and documents created in the course of settlement discussions have been incorporated (or not)…

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  • What is the Confidentiality Order?

    The Confidentiality Order (Order) is a court order entered by the Federal District Court for the District of Montana (Court) on August 8, 2002, and amended by the Court on December 31, 2003, that applies to Superfund settlement negotiations in the Clark Fork River Basin, including the following sites: Silver…

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  • How does EPA ensure that the potentially responsible parties complete their work?

    All cleanup activities performed by the PRPs are subject to enforcement instruments (i.e., consent decrees or administrative orders) that provide for EPA approval of all deliverables and oversight of all work performed by the PRPs.

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  • Can I get access to the Emissions Inventory System if I am not a data provider to EPA?

    The Emission Inventory System (EIS) is a secured database for EPA and State/Local and Tribal Air Agencies only. The EIS is used to develop the National Emission Inventory (NEI). While you cannot have access to EIS, you can have access to the current and past NEIs through EPA’s NEI website…

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  • What do I do with my indoor plants during the cleaning?

    You may leave plants on your property and inside your home or place of business. However, the cleaning team will not move any of your belongings, including plants. You may want to consider moving plants outside for the day, if possible, and watering them before you leave.

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  • Can you explain who has authority over the active mine vs the Superfund site?

    The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has regulatory authority over the active mine. EPA is the lead agency for the Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site and works in consultation with MDEQ to ensure the cleanup of the Site.

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  • Where can I go to learn more?

    PitWatch.org is the online home of the Berkeley Pit Public Education Committee. This volunteer committee educates residents, students, and the public about the environmental management of the Berkeley Pit.  Information includes the geology, hydrology, current events, and ongoing academic research associated with the Berkeley Pit. This committee frequently shares their…

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  • When will construction begin in the Silver-Bow Creek Corridor?

    Construction in the Silver Bow Creek corridor began in 2024 with the Grove Gulch Project.

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  • Why is the Confidentiality Order important?

    The Confidentiality Order (Order) has been, and continues to be, effective in assisting the parties in reaching settlements under the framework established by the Court in US v. ARCO and still pending in court – six consent decrees to date have been entered since the Order was issued. There are…

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  • How do I get access to the Emissions Inventory System?

    Access to the Emissions Inventory System (EIS) is available to state, local, tribal agencies, their representatives (such as contractors), to multijurisdictional organizations (MJOs), and to EPA staff. The EIS is not available to the public. Instructions for access to the EIS is available in the Emissions Inventory System (EIS) User’s…

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  • What happens if any of my items get damaged during the cleaning process?

    If any items get damaged, an independent appraiser will estimate the value of the item by using the videos and photos of your belongings to determine a fair value for the item that needs to be replaced. The assessment will then be presented to you for your approval. If you…

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  • What should I do with food items?

    Any food in your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator/freezer that you will not need while you are away can be left in place. This includes items such as spices, canned, boxed, and bagged foods, and refrigerated/frozen foods. Before you leave your home or office, please be sure to empty all garbage…

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  • How do I know that my belongings will be safe during the cleaning?

    Before the team begins cleaning, they will videotape each room and photograph the items you left. The videos and photos provide a record of the items that were present and the conditions of those items at the time the cleaning team entered your structure. An EPA representative will be present…

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