HELENA, Mont. (AP) _ Health officials are joining a push for the Environmental Protection Agency to acknowledge East Helena meets air quality standards for sulfur dioxide and lead.

The Independent Record reports (http://bit.ly/1Lo39zR) the town was originally listed for failure to meet the standards due to a smelter that was shut down in 2001. Remediation efforts are ongoing.

East Helena Mayor James Schell asked the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to help de-list the town from among others that failed to meet the standards. Lewis and Clark Public Health officials recently did the same.

Eric Merchant is an air analysis and planning supervisor with the state who has said delisting the community could attract businesses to the area.

Lewis and Public Health official Kathy Moore says the process could take three to five years.