OSWER/OSRTI 

Washington, DC 20460 

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL) 

***Proposed Site*** September 2012 

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 700 South 1600 East PCE Plume site. The site 

received a score of 50.0 using the Hazard Ranking System in 2005 based on contamination of a municipal drinking water 

well (SLC-18). Listing efforts for this site were suspended in 2008 because the city wanted to pursue other options to 

address the problem. These other options did not come to fruition. In June 2010, the city reported elevated levels of PCE in 

residential springs down gradient of the site. Reported concentrations ranged from 2.5μg/L to 40.4μg/L. The only identified 

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

Hospital (VA). Additional parties potentially responsible for ground water contamination have not been identified. 

 Site Contamination/Contaminants: 

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

plume is not currently known. 

 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 320μg/L, which is well above the federal Safe Drinking Water Act maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 

5.0μg/L. By 2004, PCE was detected in municipal well SLC-18 at a concentration above health based benchmarks but 

below the MCL. In 2010, levels of PCE found in residential springs reached 40.4μg/L. With the high concentrations of PCE 

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

ground water also indicate 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. Listing will enable the EPA to work with the VA to address the contamination. 

The EPA has notified the VA of their responsibilities under CERCLA Section 120, 42 U.S.C. §9620. The EPA also 

received letters of support for placing this site on the NPL from the state of Utah and 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.] 

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.