SDMS Document ID

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AUhNUY

REGION 8

999 18TM STREET - SUITE 500

DENVER, CO 80202-2466

2032283

INITIAL/FINAL POLLUTION REPORT

INTERNATIONAL SMELTING AND REFINING SITE

Pine Canyon, Utah

I. HEADING

Date:

Site Name:

From:

To:

POLREP No.:

International Smelting and Refining Site

Joshua Knight, RPM

Kevin Mould, EPA Headquarters

Initial and Final

II. BACKGROUND

Site No.:

Response Authority:

NPL Status:

Action Memorandum:

Start Date: ;.-

Completion Date:

6Y

CERCLA

Listed, July 2000

March 27, 2003

June 4, 2003

June 20, 2003

III. SITE INFORMATION

A. Incident Category

Time-Critical, PRP-Lead, Removal Action

B. Site Description

1. Site Location

The Site is located adjacent to the Pine Canyon township

and Tooele city, Utah, approximately 30 miles southwest

of Salt Lake City, Utah. The Site is roughly bounded by

the Oquirrh mountains to the east, rural residential and

farmland on the north • and south, and Pine Canyon and

Tooele to the west. The Carr Fork Landfill Area is near

the east side of the Site and is approximately 6 acres in

size. It contains mostly debris from the demolition

phase of the reclamation project which occurred in 1986.

The Site Entrance Stained Soils Area is near the west

side of the Site, near the point entry for site visitors.

The soils are of a dark brownish tint, and are

approximately 4 acres in size.
2. Site Characteristics

Copper smelting began at the Site in 1910. The Smelter

had a capacity of 4,000 tons of copper ore per day. Two

years later, copper ore supplies declined and IS&R built

a lead smelter. In 1915, Anaconda (now ARCO - the

declined Atlantic Richfield Company) purchased the IS&R

subsidiary. Over several years the owners added a leadzinc sulfide flotation mill and a slag treatment plant

for lead and zinc recovery. Copper production ceased in

1946 when the copper smelter closed. Lead smelting

ceased in early 1972. An estimated 650,000 tons per year

of tailings, slag and flue dust were produced during

early operations at the IS&R Site.

The Site was reclaimed in 1986 under a voluntary

agreement between ARCO and the State of Utah. The

reclamation included demolition of all buildings at the

Site, consolidation of the waste material, and a covering

of the majority of the waste material.

The Site covers about 1,200 acres. There are

approximately 330 acres of tailings, 27.5 acres of metalcontaminated slag, 13 acres of settling ponds, about 50

acres of landfills and 125 acres of smelting wastes. The

remaining acreage consists of open area, mostly

unimpacted by smelter operations. Investigations

indicate the presence of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead,

mercury and zinc in the soils, tailings and slag.

3. Description of Threat

Lead and arsenic are the primary contaminants of concern

with regard to human health at the Site. Lead and

arsenic are hazardous substances as defined by CERCLA

Section 101 (14). These hazardous substances were

released into local soils by historic smelting and

milling activities and were transported around the areas

primarily by consolidation during the 1986 reclamation

(Carr Fork Landfill) and by surface runoff (Site Entrance

Stained Soils Area). The exposure of these metals poses

a substantial and immediate risk to visitors and Site

workers within the area. The Site is used extensively by

local area residents (jogging, walking, birdwatching,

hunting, etc.). Lead and arsenic in soils presents a

risk of incidental ingestion. Samples taken from the

Carr Fork Landfill Area show lead at 1200 ppm and arsenic

at 110 ppm. Samples taken at the Site Entrance Stained

Soils Area show lead at 3800 ppm and arsenic 870 ppm.

These levels are above action levels that have been

established at other Utah sites.
IV. RESPONSE INFORMATION

A. Situation

1. Investigation

A Preliminary Assessment/Site Investigation (PA/SI)was

completed in 1984 by the Utah Department of Environmental

Quality (UDEQ), with additional expanded SI work

completed in 1995 and 1996. In July 2000, EPA listed the

IS&R Site on the NPL.

During the years 1986-1987 Atlantic Richfield performed

an extensive voluntary reclamation at the property to

control potential risks to health and the environment.

The reclamation work included: the removal of remaining

buildings and structures; consolidation of waste

materials; construction of storm water controls; and,

placement of cover soil over the majority of disturbed

areas at the Site.

The Remedial Investigation for the Site is currently

underway and is scheduled to be completed in February

2004. The Feasibility Study is estimated to be complete

in June 2004.

2. Action description

Carr Fork Landfill Erosion Control

Construct a series of earthen diversion berms designed to

redirect flow of water away from the landfills and steep

canyon slopes.

Entrance Area Stained Soils Soil Cover

Place a soil cover over contaminated area, then

revegetate.

Oversight

All work was conducted concurrent with oversight by EPA

and UDEQ and with the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) as the

oversight contractor.

Completion

Two borrow pits were utilized on site for cover

material for the Site Entrance and the Landfill. A

road was cut to the borrow area from the existing road

at the Site to provide access for the trucks. 254

total loads of fill dirt from the borrow area were

placed at the two .areas. Once the work was completed,

the borrow pit was contoured and drill seeded. The

slopes (of the borrow pit were at a 3:1 slope when
completed. The dirt road leading to the borrow pit was

disced and seeded and fertilized.

The Site Entrance Area was first grubbed and scarified

with a grader in the area where the cover was to be

placed. The area was covered with 12 to 15 inches of

compacted fill material. Then the area was disced,

drill seeded with native plant seeds and fertilized.

The Landfill was first grubbed and scarified with a

grader in the area where the diversion berm was to be

placed. Five 8" lifts were placed on the diversion

berm and after each lift water was applied and it was

compacted with the sheep foot compactor. Riprap was

then placed in high erosion-potential areas. A water

pipe that was exposed by the previous erosion was cut

in 4-inch lengths and disposed of. Originally the pipe

was to be placed in the gorge but the PRP changed the

plan and the pipe was placed in a hole, crushed and

covered with 18 inches of soil. The pipe is buried

approximately 400 feet south of the berm.

3. Enforcement

This work was conducted through the use of EPA CERCLA

enforcement authority. ARCO completed the work under

the current Administrative Order, with submittal and

approval of a work plan amendment.

4. Future Flans

The Remedial Branch is currently conducting a remedial

investigation of the site, to be completed by February

2004.

COST INFORMATION

The budget established for this Removal Action was $45,550,

if EPA would; have had to take over the work. However, no

costs were incurred because the PRP completed the work.