11/11/2024“Helena This Week” is reported and written By JoVonne Wagner. Send your Helena news and tips to [email protected] report cleaner environment, community development resulting from remediation efforts After nearly 15 years of remediation efforts at the East Helena smelting site, federal and state officials are reporting reductions in contaminants, cleaner groundwater and additional community development.Last week, members from the Environmental Protection Agency and Montana Environmental Trust Group met with residents to discuss an update on the cleanup of the historic American Smelting and Refining Company site. The smelting plant, which shut down in 2001 after longer than a century in operation, transferred more than 3,980 acres of its property to the Montana Environmental Trust Group in 2009. Since then, the trust group, the EPA and the city of East Helena have made strides in the land’s remediation and use.METG hydrogeologist Mark Walker said during the meeting that since October 2016, groundwater plumes of arsenic and selenium, which are described as concentrated areas of contaminants around the smelter site and East Helena, have decreased in size and concentration. METG managing principal Cindy Brooks told Montana Free Press the areas outside of the selenium plume are now within safe drinking levels, which she credits along with the other remediation results, to the implementation of corrective measures.  “[Corrective measures] are designed to reduce the amount of those contaminant sources that are available to be dissolved in groundwater and migrate off-site as the groundwater flows off-site,” Brooks said. The final corrective measure, which EPA and METG are currently working on, is to grade and cap the 16 million-ton slag pile. However, the trust group wants to remove as much slag as possible through a recycling project before capping the pile. The trust contracted with Metallica Commodities Corp., a mineral asset development and trading company, to crush and transport the slag material and sell it to other smelting companies. Operations are stalled because a buyer terminated its contract with Metallica. Brooks said that reducing the pile size would be more efficient and less costly to cap it. The trust will seek input from East Helenans about the recycling and capping project and will release a public survey to the community later, according to trust group officials.Another benefit that has sprung from the smelter cleanup is community development. East Helena High School, Prickly Pear Elementary, a Town Pump gas station and the Highland Meadows housing development are examples of East Helena’s growth in recent years.     Future development plans for the trust group’s remaining property include more than 5,000 additional housing units, parks, schools and commercial and industrial building spaces.“This community, the leaders of this community, the mayor, the council, all their staff, this is what they want,” Brooks said. “They want this growth and development and the opportunities for the people here.” Public NoticeVeterans Day: The city of Helena’s administrative offices will be closed on Monday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day. The closure will also impact the transfer station and municipal courts, although city buses will operate. School board meeting: The Helena School District will hold a school board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Lincoln Center, 1325 Poplar St., from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The meeting agenda can be found on the school district’s website. 5 Things to Know in HelenaFire tower found its funding: In a city meeting last week, the city commission approved allocating money from the Downtown Urban Renewal District to the fire tower restoration project. The city awarded the $385,803 contract to Dick Anderson Construction, which was over what the city initially budgeted. The Downtown Urban Renewal District gave the project about $99,800, in addition to the about $75,000 it allocated earlier this year. Commissioner Emily Dean said during the meeting that this was a great opportunity to use TIF funds for the historic preservation of Helena’s iconic fire tower, built in 1874.A donation for K-9: The Helena Police Department received a private donation of $15,000 to purchase a police dog. The money will allow an officer to travel to North Carolina in January to pick up and train with the dog for six weeks. Police Chief Brett Petty said in a city meeting last week that the department will need to cover about $2,000 in addition to the donation to cover shelter costs for the dog.School district cancels winter program: The Helena School District sent a letter to families earlier this month informing them the winter music programs for elementary schools were canceled because of budget cuts. “My hope going forward is that we work together and unite to ensure adequate funding for schools across Montana and restore reductions that have been made this year, including winter programs,” Assistant Superintendent Josh McKay wrote in the letter. “Our primary focus remains on providing the highest quality education and support for our students.” Prickly Pear Creek Park:  Prickly Pear Land Trust, along with the city of East Helena, is nearing completion of a new walking park set to open next spring, according to the trust’s executive director Mary Hollow. Hollow last week updated East Helena residents about the Prickly Pear Creek Park, located on the south side of US Highway 12. The park will have a path that stretches over 2.5 miles on 230 acres with a 10-foot wide ADA-accessible track. Turkey Challenge: Helena Food Share is gearing up for its annual Turkey Challenge, Helena’s yearly turkey and food drive for community members in need. Helenans can contribute to the drive on Nov. 22 at the Lewis and Clark Library from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Event organizers hope to provide more than 2,800 meals to locals during the holidays. For more information about the challenge, visit the food share’s website. By The NumbersThe estimated number of people waiting for affordable one-bedroom units through the help of local programs in the Helena area, according to United Way of the Lewis and Clark Area executive director Emily McVey. United Way staff and volunteers will be at several intersections in Helena on Saturday, Nov. 16, to continue fundraising to purchase the Helena Inn and help meet that need.Helena History A look into East Helena’s American Smelting and Refining Company, taken between 1898 and 1920, shows workers, including master mechanic Bob Rossberg on the far left. Credit: Montana Historical SocietyThe post Smelter cleanup paying off in East Helena appeared first on Montana Free Press.