HELENA—The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is pleased to announce that no further corrective action is required by the Montana State University (MSU) Innovation Campus following their efforts to clean up hazardous substances at the Nelson Dairy Farm located in Bozeman in Gallatin County, Mont. The Nelson Dairy Farm was built in 1959 and had a total of 17 buildings and two bunker silos on 3 acres west of the main campus. Most of the complex was demolished in the 1980s. All that remained of the farm were the milking parlor, pavilion building and several quonset shelters. The remaining facilities became a problem area for campus law enforcement who were repeatedly called out to address trespassing, vagrancy, and drug use at the site.
In 2019 the MSU Innovation Campus reached out to Snowy Mountain Development Corporation and DEQ’s Brownfields Program for assistance with addressing hazardous materials at the Nelson Dairy Farm as a step toward redevelopment of this property. A previous asbestos inspection found asbestos in six different on-site building materials including floor tiles, drywall mud, and vermiculite within the cinderblock walls. In February 2021, Snowy Mountain Development Corporation provided a combination of Brownfields grants and loans to assist MSU in properly abating the asbestos and demolishing the remaining buildings. All asbestos abatement activities were performed under a permit from DEQ’s Asbestos Control Program. On May 20, 2021 DEQ’s Brownfields Program reviewed the abatement report and issued a No Further Corrective Action Letter indicating that hazardous materials cleanup activities have been completed. This cleanup will allow for the development of technology-associated facilities to support MSU students, research and local economic development.
“DEQ commends the partnership between MSU and Snowy Mountain Development Corporation,” said Jason Seyler, senior environmental project officer at DEQ. “Projects like this allow DEQ and its Brownfields partners to assist in the restoration of properties that can be redeveloped to the benefit of Montana communities while protecting public health and the environment.”
The Montana DEQ Brownfields Program works collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to address hazardous substance and petroleum sites across Montana that can be reused or redeveloped once cleanup is complete. The program provides both technical and financial expertise on the assessment and cleanup of Brownfields properties, as well as grant writing assistance, outreach and workshops for interested communities. More information on the DEQ Brownfields Program can be found at: http://deq.mt.gov/Land/Brownfields
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