OSWER/OSRTI 

Washington, DC 20460 

NATIONAL PRIORITIES LIST (NPL)

***Proposed Site*** March 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 different 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 (MCL). Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 

arsenic were detected in onsite 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 to 

the east of the site. Contact by trespassers with surface soil and sediment containing hazardous substances is possible. 

2,545 persons within the four-mile radius of karst terrain are estimated to 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.