East Helena Superfund Cleanup Advances as Slag Pile Decision Nears

Overview

• The EPA plans to replace more East Helena residential yards in summer 2026 under updated federal lead guidance, with work free to homeowners and tailored to each property.
• The site's remaining hurdle is a slag pile of more than 14 million tons, as exports to South Korea stopped in 2024 and 2025 partnerships have yet to secure a processor.
• If no buyer emerges soon, the trust says it will likely grade and cap the pile with soil and plants, which could set up future recreational use.
• Groundwater controls now keep most arsenic near the pile and have shrunk the selenium plume by about 4,000 feet since 2016, aided by creek reconstruction and pond removal.
• Years of cleanup have already replaced contaminated topsoil at hundreds of homes and public sites, supported by a 2009 settlement that placed more than $90 million for East Helena in a cleanup trust and ongoing local testing that offers free pediatric lead screens.