DEER LODGE - Visitors to Arrow Stone Park have been warned that high levels of arsenic and other contaminants have been found in some of the exposed soils at the popular Deer Lodge park along the Clark Fork River.
“Recently we started noticing what appears to be what we call slickens that started to appear at the site. A slicken is pretty much just an area where contamination has broken through to the surface. It looks like a patch of bare dirt and vegetation doesn’t grow there,” said Deer Lodge Chief Administrative Officer Jordan Green.
The contaminants include arsenic and copper which can be harmful to people and the environment after long-term and repeated exposure.
“You know, we don’t see an immediate public health concern unless you’re going out there with repeated exposure and again playing in the dirt,” said Green.
The Atlantic Richfield Company created Arrow Stone Park in the 1990s as part of the Clark Fork reclamation project.
The cleanup included capping the contaminated soil with dirt. Some of that contaminated soil is leeching to the surface. This has caused the DEQ to fast-track cleanup efforts at the park within the next two years.
In the meantime, warning signs will be installed at the park to warn people to avoid exposed soils. Anyone with questions about the park can contact the city by calling (406) 846-2238.
Green said he's glad the DEQ is making the cleanup a priority.
“I’d say Arrow Stone is our most important park; it is our only natural resource park around the city, it’s got some of our best walking trails, some of our best fishing access,” he said.
