OSWER/OSRTI

Washington, DC 20460

N P L (NPL) ATIONAL RIORITIES IST 

***Final Site*** September 2010 

SMOKEY MOUNTAIN SMELTERS Knox County, Tennessee

 Site Location:

The site is located at 1455 Maryville Pike, south of the city of Knoxville, Tennessee.

 Site History:

From 1922 to 1979, the property was occupied by several companies, primarily for the production of agricultural chemicals. 

In 1979, Smokey Mountain Smelters (SMS) was established and operated as a secondary aluminum smelter. The smelting 

process involved the melting of scrap aluminum and aluminum dross (a waste byproduct of primary and secondary 

aluminum smelting) and casting the molten aluminum ingots. Currently, the site is abandoned and consists of a partially

barren and partially wooded 29 acre property, which contains the remains of the inactive secondary aluminum smelter and 

the inactive fertilizer factory. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants:

Approximately 2,700 cubic yards of aluminum dross and 75,000 cubic yards of salt cake remain on site in two uncontrolled 

waste piles. The dross residues contain extremely corrosive and water-soluble salts containing aluminum nitride, sodium 

and potassium chlorides, and heavy metals. Arsenic was detected in ground water on site in excess of EPA’s Safe Drinking 

Water Act Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs). Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and arsenic were detected in on site 

soils in excess of EPA’s Regional Screening Levels (RSLs). Cadmium was detected in the sediment of an unnamed 

tributary next to the site in excess of EPA’s sediment screening value. 

 Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment: 

Access to the site is unrestricted. The nearest residences are in a group of multiple housing units less than 200 feet from 

the site. Contact by trespassers with surface soil and sediment containing hazardoussubstances is possible. An estimated 

2,545 persons within a 4-mile radius use ground water which could be impacted by site related contaminants. Ecological 

risks posed by the site are from hazardous substances which have impaired the surface water quality and sediment in a 

tributary leading to a fishery downstream. 

 Response Activities (to date):

In 2009, EPA Region 4 conducted a limited removal action which included repairing a security fence surrounding the site 

to deter trespassers from entering the property. 

 Need for NPL Listing:

The State of Tennessee referred the site to EPA because of the uncontrolled hazardous waste at the site. Other federal and 

state cleanup programs were evaluated, but are not viable at this time. EPA received a letter of support for placing this site 

on the NPL from the state. 

[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.]

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.