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Park City High School Asbestos Release

 
Site Contact:
Joe Payne
OSC

(payne.joe@epa.gov)

Site Location:
10 2nd Ave SW
Park City, MT 59063
 response.epa.gov/parkcityMT

Completion of Cleanup Activities

 On February 25, 2026, the EPA Response Team completed their removal of asbestos containing vermiculite from the community and demobilized from the site. The team plans to return in late May, 2026 to reapply hydroseed at the excavated areas.

 

Background

On December 17, 2025, heavy winds damaged portions of the Park City, MT School roof. After the roof was damaged, asbestos containing building materials contaminated the inside of the school, the exterior of the school property, and some properties adjacent to the school. The asbestos containing materials include roofing materials and vermiculite. Inspections from the school district's insurance contractor confirmed the vermiculite contained over 1% asbestos. The contractor's ambient air monitoring has shown non-detect amounts of asbestos containing materials leaving the school borders.

Montana DEQ issued an emergency permit to the school for removing asbestos containing materials inside the school building and outside the school. The property was closed to students and clean up began immediately within the school property lines. However, there were no local resources available to conduct the clean up of the properties outside the school property lines.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality requested EPA support on January 12, 2026. EPA deployed an On-Scene Coordinator on January 13, 2026.  

 

For previous updates on the response, please see the notices section of this website.


Front of Park City High School. Impacted roof in process of repair. Asbestos air sampling station on the perimeter of Park City High School. Air sampling performed by Park City contractor. Roofing material caked onto ground. Roofing material debris on sidewalk adjacent to Park City High School. Hurricane industrial vacuum used by Park City Contractors. Vacuum will be used for cleanup of the roofing debris on the asphalt of the road. Vermiculite observed just south of the school, in front of the Methodist Church Hall on the intersection of South Clark Street and 2nd Ave. EPA mobile office trailer is parked at intersection of 1st Ave and S Clark St. Road closure placed on Clark Street next to the school during cleanup activities. ERRS contractor scraping rocks and debris from the road curtain. Water was applied during this stage for dust and fiber control. ERRS contractor marking areas homeowners would like to preserve with pin flags during excavation. ERRS contractor scraped rocks and debris from the road curtain into piles for removal. EPA, Montana DEQ, and Stillwater County join the school board meeting to provide updates on cleanup status. Contractors using a hurricane industrial vacuum to clean sidewalk and asphalt with suspected asbestos containing material on S Clark Street. ERRS loading rolloffs with scraped road curtain. Wetting is taking place to ensure fugitive dust does not migrate off site. Rolloff dumpsters lined with 7 mil polyethylene sheeting. Removed debris will be added within the liner, burrito wrapped, and sent directly to disposal facility once full. ERRS contractors removing gravel in areas not accessible with an excavator at property 1. Asbestos danger tape placed around barricaded work areas that are actively undergoing cleanup. EPA and ERRS contractor discussing cleanup strategy along S Clark Street. ERRS contractor hand shoveling the perimeter of the buildings located on Property 1. Hand shoveling will maintain safe distance between the excavator and the buildings. ERRS contractors filling water buffalo at the Park City Fire Department. Water buffalo used for continuous spraying during cleanup activities. Inside view of the Dust Trak particulate monitoring deployment kit. Air monitoring location 01 on January 19, 2026. Air monitoring location 02 on January 19, 2026. Air monitoring location 04 on January 19, 2026. Air monitoring location 03 on January 19, 2026. ERRS contractor scraping eastern road curtain on S Clark Street between 2nd Ave SE and 3rd Ave SE. Overview of the road curtains on S Clark Street after debris is scraped, prior to backfilling with gravel. Excavator used for scraping road curtains on S Clark Street between 2nd Ave SE and 3rd Ave SE. Overview of the road curtains on S Clark Street on east side of the road, prior to being scraped. Overview of S Clark St between 2nd Ave SE and 3rd Ave SE during scraping activities. Dropping off an empty roll-off dumpster to be used during cleanup activities. Rolloffs being picked up by MPe to be transported off site for disposal. ERRS dumpster truck to be used for transporting backfill material. ERRS contractors using an excavator to scrape the eastern road curtain on S Clark Street. ERRS contractors working on scraping the top 3 inches of soil from property 01. Wetting taking place to contain nuisance dust. ERRS scraping the eastern road curtain on S Clark Street and placing scraped gravel into rolloff dumpster. Dumpster will be transported off site to a nearby disposal facility. ERRS contractors spreading and grading replacement gravel (clean gravel) on eastern road curtain on S Clark Street between 2nd Ave SW and 4th Ave SW. Two excavators working to scrape top 3 inches of soil from a property. Front loader spreading clean gravel on the eastern road curtain. Office hour notification posted at the intersection of S Clark Street and 2nd Ave SE. Office hours are hosted by EPA and DEQ to answer questions and provide additional site information for the Stillwater county community. EPA providing media updates for ongoing site activities - keeping the public informed on site operations ERRS contractors spray contaminated soil with water for dust suppression while contaminated soil is transferred into a roll-off dumpster for disposal. ERRS contractors staging rolloff dumpster to transport contaminated soil in for disposal. Closeup view of the asbestos containing vermiculite. ERRS contractor scraping soil down approximately three inches using an excavator. ERRS contractors shoveling and raking into excavator bucket in alley segments 7 and 8. ERRS contractors raking and shoveling areas that homeowners do not want excavated. START contractors use electric sheer to cut down grass and assess for vermiculite in grids on residential properties. ERRS scraping and breaking concrete in close proximity to DTX B00680 on Property 1. ERRS handscrapping smaller areas of property 3 after excavation in the adjacent area. ERRS scraping the area next to the garage on property 3. As the area is tight, guiders are being used to limit potential damage. Removal activities at property 20. Erosion control hydroseed application after backfill. ERRS contractors rinsing off the side of the buildings after hydroseed application.
For additional information, visit the Notices section.