In June of 2006 Envirocon embarked on the demolition of a historical lead smelter in operation since 1894. This complex environmental remediation and demolition project was located on a Superfund site under the regulatory authority of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) and EPA Region VIII. The scope of work included: decontamination of building interiors; asbestos abatement; demolition of smelter process equipment and building structures; recovery and salvage of recyclable materials; and installation of liner cap system over former structure foot print.

During the pre-demolition phase of the project, Envirocon crews spent hundreds of manhours decontaminating building interiors to remove dust containing extremely high levels of lead, arsenic, and cadmium. Throughout demolition activities, stringent dust control protocol was enforced to limit worker exposure and fugitive emissions. Envirocon worked closely with the client and regulatory agencies to develop detailed dust control and monitoring procedures to ensure that workers on site and members of the surrounding community were not exposed to lead and arsenic dust during demolition operations. Due to the diligent efforts of the Envirocon project team, heavy metal dust concentrations did not exceed established control levels at any time during the project.

Envirocon dismantled three process areas at the smelter in a phased approach. The first phase involved the removal of a sinter plant which included a three-level steel and concrete structure densely packed with heavy process equipment. Phase two involved the removal of an acid plant and two large air emission control buildings. The third phase included a process area referred to as the Dross Plant. Envirocon also removed numerous ancillary items such as storage tanks, pipe racks, and conveyor systems. The majority of the large structures were steel frame construction with concrete decks. Envirocon utilized hydraulic shear attachments mounted to 100,000-pound excavators to safely bring down these structures. The bag house removed as part of phase two was an 80-foot tall concrete structure which required the use of a high reach concrete processor to dismantle.

Extracting valuable assets from the demolition debris was another critical aspect of the project. Recyclable ferrous and non-ferrous metals were carefully removed, cleaned, and segregated throughout the course of the demolition. Steel, copper, aluminum, stainless steel, and brass were carefully prepared and packaged on site for shipment to consumers via rail. Envirocon sized, processed, and shipped more than 7,000 tons of steel and 800,000 pounds of lead for salvage. The project was successfully completed on schedule within the six-month period allocated by the client.