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NPL Site Narrative for Murray Smelter
MURRAY SMELTER
Murray City, Utah
Federal Register Notice: January 18, 1994Murray Smelter is an abandoned lead smelting facility located in Murray City, Salt Lake County, Utah. The site is located near State Street, north of 5300 South Street. Several smaller smelters were present in the vicinity prior to the construction of Murray Smelter in 1902 by the American Smelting and Refining Co. (ASARCO).
Approximately 80,000 tons of waste slag containing heavy metals have been left onsite following the close of operations in 1949. The overall extent of surface soil contamination is not currently known. Evaluation of the site considers only the slag piles and areas of soil contamination in two nearby mobile home courts. Slag material has been documented in soil in nearly all directions from the site. The slag has been used for railroad ballast, road base, parking lot gravel, and fill, in several areas surrounding the property. Contaminants emitting from smoke stacks and blowing contaminated dust is also a concern. Slag has also been found near Little Cottonwood Creek, which runs along the north of the site. Segments of the creek are used for fishing downstream of the site.
Soil in two residential areas, the Doc and Del and Grandview mobile home parks, has been found to contain elevated concentrations of metals. The contaminants include antimony, arsenic, barium, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium, silver, thallium, and zinc. Arsenic and cadmium concentrations on the residential property have been found to be above the human health screening concentrations.
Although no drinking water wells are known to be contaminated due to sources at the site, a large nearby population relies on ground water for drinking water purposes. Sixty-two municipal drinking water wells, serving approximately 140,000 people, have been identified within 4 miles of the site.
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.