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Council records budget amendment to use undrawn ARCO funds for delayed residential soil remediation
Summary
Butte‑Silver Bow officials said EPA review changes delayed residential soil cleanups, leaving roughly $250,000 undrawn in ARCO trust accounts; the council placed the communication on file to use those funds in FY24–25 to finish delayed projects.
Butte‑Silver Bow County commissioners held a public hearing May 14 and placed on file Communication 2025-237, a request to amend the FY24–25 multi‑pathway program budget to use unspent/undrawn ARCO funds to complete residential soil remediation projects delayed by new EPA review requirements.
Brandon Warner, operations manager for the Department of Reclamation and Environmental Services, said a transition in EPA staff and a change in required documentation delayed approval of residential remediation work plans. "Due to the additional time required for EPA and DEQ to review and ultimately approve these work plans, soil remediation projects that were intended to be completed within fiscal year 20 23, 20 24 were delayed into the early portion of fiscal year 20 24, 20 25," Warner said. He told the council the budget amendment would use funds undrawn from the prior fiscal year to complete those projects without adversely impacting the FY25–26 budget.
Commissioner Fisher asked whether the $250,000 in leftover funds had been held by the county or by ARCO and who collected any interest. Director Hassler (county staff) explained: "We just don't draw the money from the trust unless we are going to utilize it. We were unable to get to this by the end of the previous fiscal year, so they were not drawn from the trust accounts at that point in time." Hassler characterized the funds as "undrawn" rather than spent.
A member of the public identified at the microphone as Freddie Frost (2000 Roberts Avenue) said, "I think this is a great program, and, yeah, it's a good good thing for for Butte America." After public comment the council voted 11-0 to place the communication on file; the clerk recorded 11 yays, 0 nays.
County staff said the amendment would allow the multi‑pathway program to complete additional residential soil remediation during the current fiscal year using trust funds that were not drawn in the prior year.
