The 141-acre site includes the former operational areas of the Murray Smelter and surrounding residential and commercial areas. Nearly 50 years of processing lead and silver ores mined in Utah and neighboring Western states left lead and arsenic in soil, as well as arsenic in the ground water. The smelter's stack emissions also might have impacted the environment.
Cleanup work is currently in progress.
At the time of its operation, Murray was the largest primary lead smelter in the world. After the smelter closed in 1950, several diverse businesses purchased or leased parts of the property. Today, the effects of 50 years of smelter operations are seen in the impact on ground water and soils at the site. City officials, working together with EPA and UDEQ, have helped ensure rapid progress on the site. It also agreed to develop options for the cleanup.