Glacier Hotel Asbestos Site
Removal Site Update
Site Description
The City of Cut Bank, Montana requested that EPA conduct a removal action (cleanup) at a property where three buildings burned, leaving debris piles with asbestos containing material (ACM). The Glacier Hotel, hotel addition, and lounge burned in 2021. The buildings were known to have ACM in their construction materials.
The removal action will include the cleanup and proper disposal of the ACM-contaminated debris. The EPA On-Scene Coordinator and EPA's hazmat contractor will mobilize to the site on May 17, 2023 and equipment will be delivered beginning that day. The cleanup is anticipated to require up to seven weeks to complete.
Location of Glacier Hotel Asbestos Site
Safety Message
The ACM-contaminated debris will be kept wet whenever it is disturbed to prevent any asbestos fibers from migrating. Rolloff boxes will be lined with heavy plastic. The waste will be loaded into the boxes, covered with the plastic liners, and sealed. The waste will be delivered to the Shelby landfill which is permitted to accept ACM.
It will be necessary to restrict traffic some of the time on a portion of 1st Avenue SW to allow the haul trucks to load up the rolloff boxes.
EPA will conduct air sampling for asbestos fibers and air monitoring for dust throughout the cleanup. We will post that information on this website.
The work schedule will be Mondays through Saturdays, including Memorial Day weekend.
Site Objectives
- Demolish Buildings
- Ensure harmful levels of particulates and/or suspect ACM do not migrate offsite
- Transport building debris to landfill
Operational Period Objectives
Reporting Period: June 5 - June 9, 2023
Current Objectives
- Complete disposal activities on remaining ACM debris. Load-out and delivery to landfill should be completed by June 6, 2023 early afternoon.
- Total count as of June 5, 2023 of ACM approximately 1300 tons transported to landfill. Remaining amount estimated to be < 3% of original pile.
- Continue to run air monitoring and sampling stations along perimeter of site activities outside of exclusion zone during intrusive operations.
- Begin backfill on footprint area of hotel. Expected completion on Thursday, June 8, 2023.
- Breakdown fencing, and other demobilization activities to occur at various times through the week.
- Demobilization anticipated to occur by Friday, June 9, 2023.
Planned Activities
EPA anticipates to have finished all site activities and to have demobilized by Friday, June 9, 2023.
Photo Gallery
Northeast corner of site showing burned brick and telephone poles.
Photo taken on 5/17/2023.
Burn debris of structure on Site.
Photo taken on 5/17/2023.
Demolition and dust suppression on the burned Glacier Hotel.
Photo taken on 5/19/2023.
North section of the Site after collapsing the walls and interior of the structure.
Photo taken on 5/20/2023.
End of week 05/15 - 05/21 progress.
Photo taken on 5/20/2023.
Roll-off bins being dropped off on-Site.
Photo taken on 5/22/2023.
Site progression as excavators continue to load roll-off bins to haul off-Site.
Photo taken on 5/25/2023.
Cleared area of the Site as ongoing removal on progresses with the use of excavators loading roll-off bins to be hauled off-Site.
Photo taken on 5/25/2023.
On going removal occurring on-Site. Areas are cleared as excavators continue to load bins and haul debris off-Site.
Photo taken on 5/26/2023.
East view of the Site at the beginning of week 3 on-going cleanup's progress.
Photo taken on 5/31/2023.
Cavern with potential sewer access area uncovered on-site while debris is cleared.
Photo taken on 6/3/2023.
Removal of debris on-Site complete, backfill process in progress.
Photo taken on 6/6/2023.
