BILLINGS— The Montana Department of Environmental Quality said Tuesday that it will investigate the accidental discharge of methamphetamine vapors inside the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter last week, including whether the city had the proper permits to burn the hazardous substances in its incinerator.
Watch to see how the investigation is unfolding:
The city has an 2010 air quality permit with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) which outlines what can be burned. The permit, which was obtained by MTN News, states that the incinerator can only burn animal remains unless otherwise approved by DEQ. The city owns the building and the incinerator.
According to the department’s public information officer, Madison McGeffers, the department did not know of the plans to burn methamphetamine.
“DEQ was not notified ahead of the September 10, 2025 burning of materials that took place at the cremation facility operated by the City of Billings Animal Control,” she said in a written statement.
Fourteen employees were inside the facility when meth evidence was being burned by the FBI. City officials said that a fan was moved, which caused the vapors to go into the shelter. Dozens of animals were also evacuated, and the shelter is seeking permanent homes for them.
Related: Drug incineration mishap sickens Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter employees
YVAS employees did not know what was burning in the incinerator that day.
YVAS has legal counsel and two shelter employees have also hired attorneys to represent them individually after they were exposed to the dangerous smoke.
The City of Billings Animal Control uses the incinerator to cremate animal remains, but according to Assistant City Administrator Kevin Iffland, the FBI has used for years it to incinerate drugs, and a malfunction caused toxic smoke to draft into the shelter.
According to City Administrator Chris Kukulski, the city was following rules in allowing the FBI to burn the drugs there.
“There is a specific protocol process that we have followed and did follow and have documentation. I've got confirmation from the health department that last week it was followed as it should be, anytime we incinerate something other than what that original purpose was,” he said in Monday night’s city council meeting.
Related: Billings animal shelter faces weeks of cleanup, uncertainty after meth smoke contamination
