The 580-acre Lockwood Solvent Ground Water Plume site is located on the outskirts of Billings in Yellowstone County, Montana. In 1986, Lockwood Water and Sewer District personnel discovered benzene and chlorinated solvents in their water supply wells. Subsequent investigations found a plume of groundwater contamination.

Work at the facility manufactured and repaired tanker truck trailers primarily to transport asphalt. From 1978 to 1990, trailers were cleaned with industrial solvents and steam prior to maintenance or repair. The wastewater from the steam clean bay was discharged to a septic system and drain field.

Another section of the site was used for chemical repackaging and distribution. Under previous owners, the property was developed and operations began in 1972. The facility is currently abandoned with no future use anticipated until cleanup is completed.

In December of 2000, the site was listed on the National Priorities List and has been undergoing Remedial Action to address the groundwater plume contamination ever since. In 2023, the contractor operating the site for EPA’s Remedial Team went into bankruptcy. EPA Remedial asked for EPA Removal’s assistance in closing the site and winterizing the property before winter 2024.

In October 2023, the EPA Removal Team marked this site as an Emergency Response requiring attention before the winter season in order to avoid the potential for contaminants to spread off-site, remedial equipment to be preserved for long term storage, and for safety hazards around the site to be mitigated against any trespassers or visitors during the current shut-down phase.

EPA personnel and contractors will be primarily cautious with slips, trips and falls during cold weather events in the area. 

Safety protocols are set in place for operating heavy machinery and navigating around active heavy machinery, including radio for each piece of equipment and each person in the designated hot zone.

All workers have stop work authority for safety issues recognized on site.

1. Mobilize equipment and personnel 

2. Begin moving the clean soils pile (approx. 8,000 cubic yards) to cap the contaminated soils

3. Assess winterization of remedial sheds

4. Begin fencing and securing site

The EPA Removal Team (EPA Personnel, EPA Contractors) mobilized to the site on Thursday, November 2. All heavy machinery and equipment by the end of the day Thursday. The team spent the morning finalizing a winterization plan of the sheds and laying down an orange fencing demarcation barrier over the to-be-capped contaminated soils, so that any future digging has obvious notation of where clean soil cap ends and new soil begins. During this site prep work, a power pole carrying power to neighboring properties was damaged by heavy equipment operations on site. No power was lost, no injuries occurred, and the local power company repaired the pole promptly.

Moving soils began Friday, November 3 and by the end of this operation period (Tuesday, November 7) 233 loads were moved, approximately 7,000 cubic yards.

The fence posts were installed and will be finalized in the next operation period.

For the next operation period, the removal team plans to

1. Complete the clean soils cap (approximately 1,000 cubic yards more to move).

2. Complete the fencing around the pond circumference and western property line.

3. Winterize the two remediation sheds

4. Safely demobilize crews and equipment.

During this operations period, the removal team plans to

1. Complete the clean soils cap (approximately 1,000 cubic yards more to move).

2. Complete the fencing around the pond circumference and western property line.

3. Winterize the two remediation sheds.

  - This requires a sample to be pulled and analyzed from sparge water holding tank to determine if waste disposal necessary or surface discharge possible.

4. Safely demobilize crews and equipment.

During this operation period, all remaining site objectives were completed. The two remediation sheds were winterized, the clean soil cap was completed and seeded with local plant seeds, and both the pond and the property perimeter were fenced.

All crew and equipment was off site and de-mobilized at the end of the day, Tuesday November 14.

This emergency response is concluded and there are no further planned response activities at this time for Lockwood Solvents.

For further information about site activities at Lockwood Solvents, please see the Remedial Superfund website here: https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0801709