“Production is on pause because of the cost of the EPA guidelines and the general economic climate,” he said. “The price for a pre-treatment facility would ultimately be three times the cost of the original distillery.”

In addition, McKee said Headframe (a certified B Corp.) was fined $20,000 to $30,000 each month for not yet complying, another cost burden.

“Those fines would have continued to increase,” he said. “We did our best.”

McKee said Butte-Silver Bow officials really tried to make this work and gave them time to find funding and solutions, but there was just no financial way out.