U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Opens 30-day Public Comment Period on Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment for the East Helena Smelter Site in Lewis and Clark County, East Helena, Montana

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting public comment on its Draft Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment (RP/EA) proposes options for habitat restoration projects for migratory birds in Lewis and Clark County, Montana. The Draft RP/EA proposes alternatives to restore natural resources and migratory bird habitat that have been injured by hazardous substances released from the East Helena Smelter Site. It identifies restoration projects on two properties located along the Prickly Pear Creek as the Trustee’s proposed preferred alternatives. The first property is located adjacent to the city of East Helena’s Kennedy Park, and the second property is located south of Highway 12 stretching east of the smelter site. Both sites will allow public access in the future.

The Draft RP/EA is pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, as amended, and the Department of the Interior Natural Resource Damage Assessment regulations which helps insure that when our Nation’s natural resources are impacted, that responsible parties provide funding to make it right. Written comments must be received by September 22, 2019 and may be submitted by email to Karen _Nelson@fws.gov or by mail delivery to: 

Copies of this document and relevant documents are available online at: https://www.cerc.usgs.gov/orda_docs/CaseDetails?ID=1271

Physical copies of this Draft RP/EA are also available for review by interested members of the public at the following locations:

• East Helena Branch of the Lewis & Clark Library, 16 E. Main Street, East Helena, MT 59635;
• The Offices of  The Montana Environmental Trust Group (METG), Trustee of the Montana Environmental Custodial Trust, 325 Manlove Street, East Helena, MT 59635; and
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Montana Ecological Services Field Office, 585 Shephard Way, Suite 1, Helena Montana, 59601.

Arrangements must be made in advance to review or obtain copies of physical records at the Service Montana Field Office by contacting the Service representative listed above.

More Information:

View Draft RP/EA for the East Helena Smelter Site