Representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gave a history of the smelter as well as cleanup efforts.
"There wasn't a lot of environmental regulations from 1916 to 1968," ODEQ public participation officer Clifton Coyle told the group. He presented a series of photos showing the waste material from the smelting operations. The cleanup started in 1995 and continued through 1997. Much of the heavily contaminated material was consolidated into a clay-lined pit on the northwest side of the Shurgen-Leist industrial site. It was capped with another clay cover then topsoil and vegetation added."The central plateau was designated for industrial reuse." Of the original 70 acres in the site, 26 acres has been designated for future buildings. "This property has a deed notice that only industrial operations can be built on this site. It's not going to be homes, it can't be mobile homes," he said.
The entire site was covered with clean soil, much of it covering some materials reclaimed from alleys, streets and school property during the cleanup.
While the cleanup was covered through a Superfund effort from the EPA, the city of Henryetta is responsible for maintaining the cover," he explained.
"The site won the Phoenix Award in 2007," he pointed out.
EPA representative Chris Peterson said his agency found lead and other materials contaminating the property immediately around the smelter site. Further investigation showed 162 homes had smelter waste in their yards, 93 alleys had material in it and the high school track was contaminated."The high access areas, schools, parks and residential properties were excavated and that material brought back to the site," he said.
He called the vast amount of contaminated similar to a "moonscape" and it had to be disposed of safely. "The plan was to cover the entire area with soil and vegetation. The plan was to provide the city with something for reuse."
Some 37,000 cubic yards of waste from both the residential and high access areas along with another 27,000 cubic yards of waste from the Victory Metals smelter were handled by the EPA. Off the Eagle Pitcher site, some 300,000 cubic yards of waste had to be cleaned up. In total, some one million cubic yards of material was hauled away or brought in during the cleanup.
Brought into the project was the Bureau of Reclamation to move the material.
"It was truly a community project," Peterson said. "We worked with the Soil Conservation group to get the topsoil." Some of that dirt came from the Hamilton strip mine. About 13,000 truckloads of soil was hauled in.
In addition, sewage sludge from Okmulgee and Tulsa was used to help fertilize the ground.
From 12 inches to three feet of soil and sludge was placed over the smelter site.
"I was impressed with how much vegetation has grown out there," Peterson said.
Casey Luckett-Snyder, the Superfund Reuse coordinator for EPA pointed out several other sites that have since been reclaimed and businesses established on them.
She stressed the Henryetta site is not a Brownfield site as has been stated by several people.
Showing some of the reuse achievements, she pointed out operations have included a recycling center, solar energy site and hospital facilities. "It runs the gamut."
"There's an opportunity to reuse the former smelter site. It can mean new jobs, increase in property taxes," she said.
In the five-state EPA region there are 39 Superfund sites on the National Priority list. "There are 19 businesses that operate on those and they generate $147 million in annual sales," she said. "They employ 2,000 people and they generate almost $80 million in annual income."
Showing a West Dallas former smelter site, she said the area was cleaned up from lead, zinc and cadmium. Several businesses including Goodwill Industries, a restaurant and housing area have been established there.The Henryetta site is being eyed for a medical facility from the East Central Oklahoma Family Health Center. Plans call for that Wetumka-based group to build a medical and dental facility with some 30 people to be hired.
A similar cleanup effort at the Kusa smelter site east of Dewar has been placed on hold due to funding issues according to one DEQ representative
.Tables were set up around the civic center with information and material about the cleanup effort and residents were on hand to answer specific questions.
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