Butte-Silver Bow will be conducting an Ammonia Extraction and Disposal Operation at the Butte Civic Center. The Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team will be extracting Ammonia from the outdated and unstable Ammonia tanks that are currently at the Butte Civic Center. Originally installed in the 1950s, these tanks were used for Ice creation at Civic Center events before an updated system was installed in the 2000s. Since that time, these tanks have been unused and may pose a potential health risk to the community. Butte-Silver Bow recognizes that risk and will be conducting an operation to remove and dispose of the Ammonia in a safe and controlled manner.
The operation will begin Wednesday, October 19 at 8:00 a.m. Access to Civic Center Road will be restricted to authorized personnel only during the operation, but Harrison Avenue and the Public Transportation Shelter will not be impacted. We would like the public to be aware; this is a real operation, which will include the use of Level “A” protective equipment, use of the Mobile Incident Command Center, as well as numerous fire and police personnel. Butte-Silver Bow will also be using the “Reverse 911 System” to inform local businesses and residents near the operation about what is occurring. We understand the sight of protective suits and emergency responders will alarm some citizens and hope this announcement will minimize citizen distress. Participating agencies within Butte-Silver Bow are well trained and understand the operation’s needs and safety requirements. If you see activity in and around the Butte Civic Center tomorrow, please do not be alarmed.
For operational questions, please contact the Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department at (406) 497-6486 and for building specific questions; please contact Butte-Silver Bow Buildings Manager, Pat Holland at (406) 497-6573.