OSWER/OSRTI

Washington, DC 20460

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Final Site*** May 2013 

700 SOUTH 1600 EAST PCE PLUME Salt Lake City, Utah

Salt Lake County

 Site Location:

The site is located in a residential area near the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. 

 Site History:

Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination was first found in 1990 at the nearby Mount Olivet Cemetery during routine 

monitoring by Salt Lake City. This led to the EPA’s involvement at the site. NPL listing efforts for this site were

suspended in 2008 because the city wanted to pursue other options to address the contamination. In June 2010, the city 

reported elevated levels of PCE in residential springs down gradient of the site. The only identified source of the 

contamination is a historic dry-cleaning facility owned and operated by a Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital 

(VA). 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants:

The area of PCE contamination covers more than 200 acres based on sampling. However, the full extent of the ground 

water plume is currently unknown. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment:

Contaminated ground water is the primary concern at this site. In 1998, PCE levels in a ground water monitoring well 

at the site reached levels well above the federal Safe Drinking Water Act maximum contaminant level (MCL). By 

2004, PCE was found in a municipal well at a concentration above health based benchmarks but below the MCL. In 

2010, levels of PCE found in residential springs reached levels well above the MCL. With the high concentrations of 

PCE found nearby, additional public and private water resources are at risk of being contaminated. Contamination in 

shallow ground water also indicates a potential for vapor intrusion (indoor inhalation exposures). 

 Response Activities (to date):

There have been no response activities. 

 Need for NPL Listing:

In 2004, municipal well SLC-18 was determined to have a PCE concentration above the health based concentration 

but below the MCL. As a precautionary measure, Salt Lake City took this well off-line in 2005, and it has remained 

off-line since. Vapor intrusion is also a possibility for the community overlying the contamination. A long-term 

solution for addressing contamination is necessary because left uncontrolled, the plume could continue to migrate 

putting additional public water supplies and residents at risk. NPL listing will enable the contamination to be 

addressed. The EPA received letters of support for placing this site on the NPL from the state of Utah and the city of 

Salt Lake City. 

[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may 

change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56 FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent 

FR notices.]

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/toxfaqs/index.asp or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.