Carpenter Snow Creek Mining District

⚠ Superfund · Cleanup underway

Residential Soil-Lead Directive ​Based on the October 2025 Lead Directive, the EPA is evaluating the risks from lead in soils/yards. Lead can pose risks to sensitive populations, especially children under 7 years old and pregnant or nursing women. Implementing the Lead Directive will involve additional planning, data gathering, and analysis.

Location

CityNeihart
CountyCascade County
StateMontana
Coordinates46.95631, -110.70980

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 02/06/1996
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 12/01/2000
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 09/13/2001
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 06/11/2003
  5. Remedy Selected — 04/06/2009
  6. Remedial Action Started — 04/23/2023
  7. Construction Completed — Not Yet Achieved
  8. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  9. Most Recent Five-Year Review — Not Yet Achieved
  10. Achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Reuse — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

Other Superfund sites in Cascade County

Understanding this Superfund site

Carpenter Snow Creek Mining District is a federal Superfund site in Montana. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Cleanup underway. Active cleanup is underway, meaning EPA has approved a remediation plan and work is in progress. Cleanup timelines vary widely — some sites take decades depending on contamination depth, groundwater involvement, and funding availability.

Contaminants of concern include arsenic, lead. Contamination has been detected in soil.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.