EPA / USFS – Barker Hughesville Mining District Superfund Site

WSB, through its legacy firm Alta Science & Engineering, Inc., is supporting investigation efforts at the Barker Hughesville Mining District (BHMD) Superfund Site in west-central Montana, where historic mining activities have resulted in the presence of arsenic and heavy metals across soils, sediments, groundwater and surface water.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency divided the site into multiple operable units, and WSB is focused on the Dry Fork of Belt Creek within Operable Unit 2 (OU2). This area includes mining-related sources across the Galena Creek drainage basin, Pride of the West Creek and portions of the Dry Fork of Belt Creek, much of which is located on U.S. Forest Service-managed lands.

The project is designed to better understand the sources and distribution of mining waste within fluvial sediments along the Dry Fork of Belt Creek. Using a forensic approach, our team integrates engineering, geomorphic and geochemical analysis to evaluate the relative contribution of materials from historic mining operations.

WSB is conducting a comprehensive review of historical data alongside targeted field investigations, including the use of lead isotope markers to track contamination sources. This work supports development of an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) focused on solid media, including tailings along the creek corridor and potential repository locations.

Field investigations are planned to supplement previous remedial studies and refine estimates of tailings volume and distribution. The resulting EE/CA will provide a detailed analysis of reclamation alternatives for Operable Unit 2 and the broader BHMD site, helping inform future decision-making.

This work reflects a collaborative effort to better understand complex legacy impacts and support effective, science-driven remediation strategies within a sensitive watershed.