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National Information |
National Priorities List (NPL) HistoryProposed Date Final Date Partial Deletion |
Superfund Program
Davenport and Flagstaff Smelters
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Site Type: Final NPL City: Sandy County: Salt Lake Zip Code: 84092 EPA ID#: UTD988075719 Site ID#: 0801257 Site Aliases: Davenport Smelter, Hawkeye Smelter, McKay & Revolution Silver Mining Co. Congressional District(s): 02 |
Site Description
The Flagstaff/Davenport site is about 15 miles southeast of Salt Lake City, Utah, in a residential area at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. It is east of the town of Sandy City, in an unincorporated area of Salt Lake County, Utah. The area includes the remains of three old smelters. Remnants of two smelters are visible in the area of 3500 E. Little Cottonwood Lane (about 9800 South). In the late 1800s, they were called the Davenport and the McKay. The Flagstaff smelter was located less than a quarter mile to the north, near 9500 South Wasatch Boulevard, on the north side of Little Cottonwood Creek.Site Risk
Smelting operations were inefficient a century ago. Smelting byproducts emitted from the smokestack included lead and arsenic. These contaminants were deposited in soils around the smelters. Slag was also left behind from the process. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ) and the Salt Lake County Health Department were alerted when a local gold prospector reported colored soils, indicative of early smelting activities. Ingestion of lead- and arsenic-contaminated soils and household dust presents the primary risk to residents.
| Media Affected | Contaminants | Source of Contamination |
| Soils | Lead, arsenic | Smelters |
Cleanup Progress
In 1992, EPA conducted on-site soil analyses and found high levels of lead
and arsenic. To further define the extent of contamination, more sampling was
done in the area in 1994 and 1996, 1998, and 2001. EPA proposed the site for
its National Priorities List in December 2000.
About 500 people reside within the area impacted by the former smelter activity.
The Remedial Investigation and Feasibility study for the residential soils portion
of the site was completed in late 2001. A cleanup strategy, known as the Proposed
Plan and Record of Decision, for the residential soils clean up was completed
in 2002. More detailed sampling was conducted in 2003.
The residential cleanup selected includes excavating, removing, and disposing off site contaminated soil to a maximum depth of 18 inches. Contaminated soil in heavily vegetated areas of oak brush (native vegetation) would be hand excavated to diminish the impact on vegetation. This cleanup consists of about 21 residential properties.
In 2004, EPA began the residential cleanup. Because of the significant health risk posed by the soil contamination, the work at six properties was conducted as a time-critical response. Additional properties were addressed in 2005 and 2006 under a non-time critical removal action. Several additional residences will be completed in 2007.
A private developer, under oversight from EPA and UDEQ, has cleaned up the tree farm and vacant area north of Little Cottonwood Creek in 2006. The developer will clean up the area to the same levels used by EPA at the other residential properties. The developer is planning to create a residential community in the area.
UDEQ began the Remedial Investigation of the nonresidential areas of the site in 2006. The investigation covered the areas not addressed by the above cleanups. It consisted of surface and subsurface soil sampling, groundwater and surface water sampling, and sediment sampling. The results are being used to complete a human and ecological risk assessment and determine what alternatives will best address any contamination found.
Community Involvement
Extensive community involvement has occurred at this site and continues today, especially during cleanup of residential properties.
Site Documents
(click here to link to all the documents below)Focused Feasibility Study, OU2, November 2008 (PDF, 135 pp, 16MB)
Groundwater Risk Management Memorandum, OU2, July 2008 (PDF, 3 pp, 2 MB)
Ecological Risk Management Memorandum, OU2, July 2008 (PDF, 3 pp, 817 KB)
Human Health Risk Management Memorandum, OU2, June 2008 (PDF, 3 pp, 1 MB)
Remedial Investigation Report, OU2, June 2008 (PDF, 107 pp, 19MB)
Final Human Health Risk Assessment, OU2, July 2007 (PDF, 73 pp, 3 MB)
Ecological Risk Assessment, OU2, September 2007 (PDF, 101 pp, 6 MB)
Contacts
| EPA
Lisa Lloyd Pat Courtney |
Utah
Thomas Daniels Dave Allison |
