Asarco Smelter
Facility Site ID:
215
Cleanup Site ID:
712
Asarco Smelter Cleanup Background
For nearly 100 years, the Asarco Company operated a copper smelter in Tacoma. The 90 acre facility sat on the border of north Tacoma and Ruston, along the waterfront. Air emissions and other smelter contaminants polluted the property, the surrounding neighborhoods, and a 1,000 square mile area called the Tacoma Smelter Plume.
In the early 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began a Superfund cleanup of the site. To manage this large and complex cleanup, EPA divided the cleanup into four "operable units." The Asarco Smelter is one of these units. It consists of the cleanup of the smelter property, excluding building and structure demolition--a separate unit.
In the early 1980s, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began a Superfund cleanup of the site. To manage this large and complex cleanup, EPA divided the cleanup into four "operable units." The Asarco Smelter is one of these units. It consists of the cleanup of the smelter property, excluding building and structure demolition--a separate unit.
Documents 6
Legal 2
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| EC Point Ruston Onsite Containment Facility | 8/27/2021 | Environmental Covenant; Alternative Mechanism |
| Superfund State Contract - Asarco OU2 - Slag Peninsula | 9/10/2020 | Interlocal/Interagency Agreement; Memorandum of Agreement or Understanding |
Technical Reports 4
| Document Title | Document Date | Document Type |
| Commencement Bay Nearshore/Tideflats Superfund Site – Operable Unit 02 Ecology Acceptance of Change in the Commencement Bay Record of Decision as Proposed in the Explanation of Significant Differences (ESD) | 6/26/2024 | Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence) |
| Asarco Breakwater Peninsula ESD | 5/1/2024 | Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence) |
| Asarco Smelter Site - Ecology Support of Proposed Remedy Change for OU 2 | 2/7/2023 | Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence) |
| Ecology's Acceptance of Change in Proposed ESD | 9/13/2018 | Site Specific Administrative Document - other (Administrative correspondence) |
There may be more documents related to this site. To obtain documents not available electronically, you will need to make a public records request.
Places to see print documents
-
Southwest Regional Office300 Desmond Dr SELacey, 98503-1274Please schedule an appointment to view print documents at this location.
Contaminants 11
| Contaminant Type | Soil |
Groundwater |
Surface Water |
Air |
Sediment |
Bedrock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Contaminant - Base/Neutral/Acid Organics | C | C | C | |||
| Halogenated Organics - Halogenated Organics | C | C | C | |||
| Metals - Metals Priority Pollutants | C | C | C | C | C | |
| Metals - Metals - Other | C | C | C | C | ||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Petroleum Products-Unspecified | C | C | ||||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Phenolic Compounds | C | C | C | |||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Non-Halogenated Solvents | C | |||||
| Non-Halogenated Organics - Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons | C | C | C | |||
| Other Contaminant - Conventional Contaminants, Organic | C | |||||
| Other Contaminant - Conventional Contaminants, Inorganic | C | C | C | |||
| Other Contaminant - Asbestos | C | C |
- S
- Suspected
- C
- Confirmed Above Cleanup Levels
- B
- Below Cleanup Levels
- RA
- Remediated-Above
- RB
- Remediated-Below
- R
- Remediated
This contaminant list was based on our best information at the time it was entered. It may not reflect current conditions at the site.