Archives West Finding Aid

This collection contains records from various Divisions, Bureaus, and Programs within the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality records were integrated under one collection number to help facilitate access and reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog.

To learn more detail about the records in each subgroup, please click on the links below in the arrangement section to be redirected to those finding aids.

Subgroup 1: Director's Office Division

This subgroup (1908-2002) contains records pertaining to the Director's Office. It is comprised primarily of subject files, but also includes hearing transcripts, and minimal correspondence. Subject files in this collection cover a vast variety of topics, including but not limited to: health issues and concerns by county, health education, air and water quality issues, disease monitoring and control, information about federal and state designated superfund sites, legislative issues, and notices of violation to Montana businesses and individuals. Please note that a significant portion of these materials stem from prior to the split between DEQ and DPHHS.

This subgroup also contains one sub-subgroup (2002-2007) for the Information Technology Bureau (formerly named Office of Information Technology), which includes minutes pertaining to the Information Technology Board (ITB), the Information Technology Governance Board, the Information Technology Managers Council (ITMC), among others, as well as subject files on the Information Technology Work Group (ITWG), ITMC biennial report, and an organization chart for the Bureau.

Subgroup 2: Air, Energy, and Mining Division

This subgroup (1965-1998) contains records pertaining to the Air, Energy, and Mining Division. It is comprised of two sub-subgroups, the Air Quality Bureau (formerly named Air Resources Management Bureau) and the Mining Bureau (formerly named Environmental Management Bureau and Hard Rock Mining Bureau).

The sub-subgroup, Air Quality Bureau (1965-2001 and 1973-1989), consists of two different collections, as they were previously processed separately and have not yet been integrated. Materials consist of correspondence, case files, hearing transcripts, and subject files. Topics mostly pertain to concerns regarding air quality, air pollution, the EPA’s Clean Air Act of 1990, citations and complaints for emissions violations, and air quality quarterly contract reports by county (not all counties are represented). The sub-subgroup, Mining Bureau (1970-1998), is primarily composed of retired case files, most of which come from the Hard Rock Bureau when it was a part of the Department of State Lands. These case files consist of operating permits for larger mines, denied operating permits for larger mines, and the files of small miners that did not disturb the land, successfully completed reclamation, did not complete reclamation, or whose claim was released due to death.

Subgroup 3: Water Quality Division

This subgroup (1989-1994) contains records pertaining to the Water Quality Division (formerly named Water Quality Bureau). It consists of subject files related to water planning projects for various subdivisions in Montana. Most prominently represented are Flathead, Gallatin, and Lewis and Clark Counties.

Subgroup 4: Waste Management and Remediation Division

This subgroup (1983-1997) contains records pertaining to the Waste Management and Remediation Division (formerly named Remediation Division). It consists of records specifically concerned with the cleanup of Silver Bow Creek, near Butte, Montana. It includes correspondence, reports, and subject files.

Subgroup 5: Board of Environmental Review

This subgroup (1995-2005) contains records pertaining to the Board of Environmental Review. It consists of correspondence, minutes, and subject files. The subject files mostly detail contested cases brought before the Board and deal with water or air quality violations.

Subgroup 6: Petroleum Tank Release Compensation Board

This subgroup (1989-2012) contains the records of the Petroleum Tank Release Compensation Board. It consists of Board meeting minutes (1989-2010, 2013, 2016-2017) and suspended policies of the Board (1991-2008). This subgroup is processed at the collection level and does not have a box-folder listing.

Subgroup 7: Environmental Sciences Division (Predecessor Department)

This subgroup (1995-2005) contains records pertaining to the Environmental Sciences Division (defunct). This Division eventually became DEQ in 1995. It consists of correspondence, court papers, financial records, hearings, laboratory records, organizational records, reports, subject files, and miscellany. The collection also contains annual reports of the Montana Community Sanitation Program and files of Tom Ellerhoff including subject files, press clippings, and working files for publications on the Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT) and “Lasting Legacy: Montana’s Environmental Health Pioneers.”

Subgroup 8: State Board of Health (Predecessor Agency)

This subgroup (1914-1965) contains records pertaining to DEQ's predecessor agency, the State Board of Health, and specifically the Division of Environmental Sanitation (defunct). It consists of general correspondence (1914-1965) concerning the Cut Bank municipal water system, Three Forks wells, water treatment methods, swimming pools and other subjects, water lab reports (1942-1958), and subject files, including records of the American Water Works Association, histories of the Billings and Great Falls waterworks, and other materials.