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National Information |
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Superfund Program
Murray Smelter
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Site Type: Proposed NPL City: Murray City County: Salt Lake Street Address: 5300 South Main Street Zip Code: 84107 EPA ID#: UTD980951420 Site ID#: 0800697 Site Aliases: Murray Smelter Congressional District(s): 02 |
Site Description
The Murray Smelter Superfund site is the former location of a large lead smelter in Murray City. The smelter operated for about 77 years, from 1872 until 1949. ASARCO operated it from 1902 to 1949. The lead smelting and arsenic refining operations affected the soil, ground water, surface water and sediment at the 142 acre site and the surrounding area.
Site Risk
| Media Affected | Contaminants | Source of Contamination |
| Ground water, surface water, soils sediment, debris | Lead, arsenic | Smelter |
Cleanup Progress
EPA proposed including the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in January 1994. In 1995, EPA began working with Asarco and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality to investigate it under the terms of an Administrative Order on Consent. EPA Region 8 and Murray City entered into a unique agreement which established a formal role for the city in identifying potential future land uses at the site; participating in the development of cleanup options; and implementing institutional controls required by EPA's cleanup decision. The site was never finalized because of these agreements and cleanup was already underway.
In April 1998, EPA Region 8 issued the Record of Decision for the site. Cleanup
included:
Today, construction on the cleanup project is complete and consistent with
EPA's land revitalization goals. Once an underutilized industrial property,
this site has been transformed into a property with important commercial and
retail uses.
The economic impact of revitalization is expected to boost property values throughout the community and lead to a wave of new, complementary office and commercial development.
In 2003, EPA Region 8 completed the first five year review that indicated that
the remedy was protective of human health and the environment. The next review
is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008.
Community Involvement
During the evaluation of cleanup options, a Working Group that included community members, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Asarco, property and business owners, Murray City, and EPA Region 8 considered redevelopment plans and discussed alternative cleanup strategies that would facilitate revitalization as well as protection of public health and the environment. For example, the on-site repository system required for site cleanup was designed to form the base of a new north-south roadway corridor and a new light rail facility parking lot, two site features that were keys to site redevelopment.
The Working Group effort was assisted by Murray City who received a Brownfields
assessment grant from EPA Region 8 in January 1997 and used the funds to contract
a real estate consultant to provide advice about the land value implications
of various remedial strategies. EPA Region 8 provided the facilitation services
for the group. The Working Group participants made key commitments to the success
of both cleanup and reuse of the property. Knowledge of revitalization opportunities
helped inform EPA Region 8 in the remedy selection process.
Site Documents
Five-Year Review Annual Update, December 2006
(43K, PDF, 4 pages)
Five-Year Review Report - September 22,
2003 (2.4 MB, PDF)
Contacts
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