BUTTE -The EPA informed Butte residents at a public hearing Tuesday evening that it could take another five months before the agency could determine the action levels for removing harmful lead from the soil. Another delay for a community that’s waited decades for a proper Superfund cleanup. WATCH: Butte Superfund Cleanup Delayed 5 More Months Due to Policy ChangesEPA delays Butte lead cleanup another 5 months amid policy changesThe EPA’s Region Eight administrator told a crowd at the Montana Tech library auditorium that recent administration changes have forced EPA policy changes, and a new action level number for lead concentration will be determined. In 2024, Butte expected the action level to be 175 parts per million, or PPM, but that was changed in 2025 to 1,200 ppm– an amount many deem too high. “The number will be significantly lower than the 1,200 parts per million clean-up level,” EPA Project Manager Molly Roby said.