DEQ, EPA say Park City Schools asbestos case is complete

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the United States Environmental Protection Agency announced that the clean-up and remediation of asbestos at the Park City Schools has been completed after a December windstorm tore the roof off a building, causing insulation containing asbestos to spread around the town.

The sudden storm on Dec. 17, 2025, which received a federal emergency declaration order, ripped the roof off part of the school’s structure, doing damage to the building. But the wind swept particles of roofing and insulation containing vermiculite — a form of asbestos.

After that discovery, school officials rejiggered classroom set-ups, reviving some of the protocols that had been adopted during the COVID-19 outbreak, as middle school and high school students used remote learning. The school district determined that makeshift temporary classrooms would be placed around the community for elementary students.

The roof has been repaired, students have returned to the schools, and EPA crews have finished their work. According to a joint press release from the DEQ and the EPA, the crews cleared asbestos from 19 residential properties and 19 “road segments.” Those clean-up operations included excavating soil and replacing it with clean backfill as well as applying hydro seed to control erosion and stabilize the areas.

“There are no known human health risks at this time,” the release said.

“DEQ is incredibly thankful for the tremendous collaboration by EPA, Park City Schools, and Stillwater County on this cleanup effort,” said Montana DEQ Waste Management and Remediation Division Administrator Amy Steinmetz. “With several agencies and private contractors involved in Park City, it was critical that we all worked together to provide efficient, effective results for the community. The amount of work that was completed in such a short amount of time would not have been possible without close collaboration.”