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NPL Site Narrative for Sharon Steel Corp. (Midvale Tailings)
SHARON STEEL CORP. (MIDVALE TAILINGS)
Midvale, Utah
Federal Register Notice: August 30, 1990Conditions at proposal (October 15, 1984): Sharon Steel Corp. owns a mill tailings site in Midvale, Salt Lake County, Utah. Midvale (population 10,000) is a part of the Salt Lake City metropolitan area (population 936,000). Metals were milled on the 260-acre site from about 1910 to 1971. Approximately 10 million tons of mill tailings containing high concentrations of lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, and zinc remain on the site. Sharon Steel purchased the site in 1979.
This site was originally proposed for listing under the name "Sharon Steel Corp. (Midvale Smelter)."
Issues of concern at the site include air contamination from wind-blown tailings, tailings washing into the Jordan River, and impacts on ground water. Ground water samples have shown contamination with arsenic and lead, according to analyses conducted by the State and Sharon Steel. About 500,000 people depend on wells within 3 miles of the site as a source of drinking water.
Status (January 1986): This site is included in a multisite cooperative agreement between EPA and the State of Utah. A State contractor is to perform a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) to determine the type and extent of contamination at the site and identify alternatives for remedial action.
Status (August 30, 1990): EPA has assumed the lead for this site, with the State in an oversight role.
In response to public comments on an August 1989 proposed plan, EPA has divided the site into two Operable Units (OUs). OU#1 is concerned with the tailings and ground water contamination. The ground water study for this OU is to be completed by September 1990 and a new proposed plan is to be published by October 1990.
OU#2 involves nearby contaminated residential soils. EPA has completed the RI/FS for this OU and expects to publish a proposed remedy shortly.
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.