Search

EPA Halts Sale of Toxic “Bag o’ Slag” Montana Mining Souvenirs

Posted on 11/27/2019 by Lauren Scott

On November 18, EPA Inspector General Charles Sheehan notified regional environmental agencies of a Montana visitor center selling toxic copper smelting waste in resealable, plastic sandwich bags to tourists.

For several years, the Anaconda Chamber of Commerce has been marketing the mining waste as “bag ‘o slag”, a token from Anaconda’s mining history.

“From Anaconda, the tourist can leave with a token of the smelter—small bags of slag (much easier to obtain than trying to take a sample from one of the slag piles),” the 2019 Anaconda Tourism Guide reads.

What the guide doesn’t say is that the hazardous waste was illegally obtained from the Anaconda Co. Superfund Site, according to EPA investigators.

Although slag is mostly iron and silica left over from separating metal from its ore, it also contains small amounts of lead and arsenic, both of which are Federally regulated hazardous substances.

Federal officials ordered the Chamber of Commerce to pull the $2 bags of hazardous waste from its visitor center and inform past purchasers of the related health risks and how to safely dispose of the bags.

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality was notified and will work with EPA to find out what individuals or business may have been involved in the illegal waste collection and sale of the bags. 
 

Get RCRA Trained—When You Want, Where You Want

US EPA requires hazardous waste professionals to complete annual training on the RCRA requirements. Lion makes it easy to meet the RCRA training mandate in a variety of formats—nationwide public workshops, convenient online courses, live webinars, and on-site training.
Browse RCRA training options here to find the course that fits your needs, your schedule, and your learning style.

Want live training? Join us for the RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Workshop near you in January 2020:
Cleveland, OH                    Jan. 6—7
Mobile, AL                           Jan. 6–7
Cincinnati, OH                    Jan. 9—10
Memphis, TN                     Jan. 9–10
Chicago, IL                           Jan. 13–14
Nashville, TN                      Jan. 13–14
St. Louis, MO                     Jan. 16–17
Charlotte, NC                     Jan. 16–17
Atlanta, GA                         Jan. 21–22
Indianapolis, IN                 Jan. 27–28
Charleston, SC                   Jan. 27–28
Detroit, MI                          Jan. 30–31
Richmond, VA                    Jan. 30–31
 

Tags: arsenic, environmental, EPA, haz waste, hazardous waste, lead, montana, RCRA, slag, Superfund, superfund site, tourism

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

Best instructor ever! I was going to take my DOT training w/a different provider, but based on this presentation, I will also be doing my DOT training w/Lion!

Donna Moot

Hazardous Waste Professional

Very well structured, comprehensive, and comparable to live training seminars I've participated in previously. I will recommend the online course to other colleagues with training requirement needs.

Neil Luciano

EHS Manager

Lion courses always set the bar for content, reference, and practical application. Membership and access to the experts is an added bonus.

John Brown, CSP

Director of Safety & Env Affairs

Amazing instructor; real-life examples. Lion training gets better every year!

Frank Papandrea

Environmental Manager

Convenient; I can train when I want, where I want.

Barry Cook

Hazmat Shipping Professional

I have been to other training companies, but Lion’s material is much better and easier to understand.

Mark Abell

Regional Manager

Course instructor was better prepared and presented better than other trainers. Course manual and references were easier to use as well.

Marty Brownfield

Hazardous Waste Professional

The instructor did an excellent job presenting a very dry subject; keeping everyone interested and making it enjoyable.

Marc Bugg

Hazardous Waste Professional

Lion is easily and consistently the best option for compliance training. I've learned new information from every instructor I've had.

Rachel Mathis

EHS Specialist

As always, Lion never disappoints

Paul Resley

Environmental Coordinator

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Just starting out with shipping lithium batteries? The four fundamental concepts in this guide are the place to start.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.