BOZEMAN – Cleanup has begun at the site of a deadly explosion that rocked downtown Bozeman in March, destroying several buildings.
The cleanup is expected to take three to five weeks, Montana Ready Mix owner Greg Poncelet has said.
An engineer will be on site to make sure the surrounding buildings remain stable throughout the process and an environmental consultant will supervise the project. Crews will recycle as much of the debris as possible and business owners will have the opportunity to retrieve personal items.
The explosion killed 36-year-old Tara Reistad Bowman and destroyed four businesses. The explosion and fire also heavily damaged four other businesses.
The explosion was blamed on a separation in a two-inch NorthWestern Energy natural gas service line between the main gas line and the meter for the Montana Trails Gallery, where Bowman worked.