Butte-Silver Bow commissioners voted unanimously on Jan. 8 to send the chief executive's proposed comment letter on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposed amendment to the remedial action for the Butte Soils Operable Unit to the committee of the whole for additional public input.

Evan Barrett, a Butte resident, urged the council not to concur and place the draft comment on file but instead to hold it in committee to allow public review and written public comment during the EPA comment period, which he said ends Feb. 15. Barrett told commissioners the draft reads like an operational memo and contains numerous technical questions that should be posed to EPA rather than presented as the county’s position.

Eric Hasler, director of Reclamation and Environmental Services, said county staff based the draft on their implementation experience and on two public meetings and that staff would provide commissioners with copies of the EPA proposed plan and the draft comments so they can cross‑reference them. Hasler identified the county department and Water Environmental Technologies as consultants working on the matter.

Commissioners agreed to send the item to the committee of the whole so the public can comment and commissioners can consider edits before any county submission to EPA. The motion to hold in abeyance and send to the committee was approved 12-0.

The record shows the county intends to incorporate additional public input and staff revisions into a final comment if the council so directs before the EPA deadline.