DERR-2024-007091

Murray City
Smelter Site Information
Murray City Corporation
Administrative and Development
Services
March2017
History of the Smelter Site Redevelopment Area
' The Germania Smelter began operations in 1872 and operated until 1902. The smelter
processed lead at the rate of 180 tons a day from four blast fumaces and one reverberatory
furnace;
' The Germania Smelter was purchased by the American Smelting and Refining Company
(ASARCO) in 1899 and reportedly became the largest primary lead smelter in the world at the
time. The smelter processed 1,400 tons per day with eight blast furnaces;
' 80Yo of the small gun munitions used by American forces in WWII came from this smelter;
' The operations facilities on the site included an extensive network of railroad tracks, two smoke
stacks (300 feet and 455 feet in height) several blast furnaces, ore storage bins and other support
facilities;
Later soil evaluations found the deposition of slag from smelting operations had covered the majority
of the original surface soils in the area. Soils on the site showed elevated concentrations of lead and
arsenic. Concentrations of metals in groundwater were observed, however only arsenic exceeded the
drinking water maximum contamination levels.
Creation of Smelter Site Redevelopment Area
In 1994, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed that the former ASARCO Smelter Site
should be included on the National Priorities List of Superfund Sites and requested assessment of the
site. The EPA and ASARCO entered into agreements for performing site investigations and cleanup.
Remediation included:
l. Removal and replacement of soil;
2. Hazardous materials buried and capped under Cottonwood Street;
3. Institutional controls (still in place).
The EPA also entered into an agreement with Murray City to allow the City a formal role in the
Superfund process, and provided the City with $176,000 brownfields grant to assess the reuse
implications of different cleanup approaches at the site.
Murray City was awarded S12.5 million in high priority funds in the 1998 Federal Transportation
Enhancement Act to be used to build a structure over 5300 South providing access to the new RDA
area from 300 West. Murray City was required to provide a20o/o match (approximately $2.5 million)
over five years.
Blight analysis dated May 20,1999 finds that this qualifies as a "blighted area" due to a number of
factors, including:
. Economic deterioration or continued disuse;
. Existence of inadequate streets, open spaces and utilities;
. Existence of hazardous or solid waste defined as any substance defined, regulated or listed as
"hazardous substances".
The Smelter Site Neighborhood Development plan was approved in July 1999.
Tax Incentives O.ffered by the Agency:
. The Agency utilized tax increment from the project area to help pay for the costs associated with
road improvements, utilities, water, sewer, storm drains, electric, demolition and site
remediation.
In 2001 the EPA provided notification that the site was perfectly safe for commercial development.
The cleanup project earned the prestigious EPA Phoenix Award, which honors individuals and groups
working to solve environmental issues and bring industrial sites back into safe, productive use.
Intermountain Healthcare (IHC) broke ground for construction of the Intermountain Medical Center on
September 22, 2003 . The new medical center opened on September 25, 2007 .
Smelter Site
Area - 1995
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Murray City Center District (MCCD)
History and Background
Intermountain Medical Center (IMC)
Intermountain Healthcare's flagship facility is located on a I 18 acre campus, has over 1.5
million square feet, and offers these unique centers of excellence:
. CardiovascularMedicine
. Cancer Care
. Women's and Newborn Care
. Outpatient Care
. Level I Trauma and Emergency Medicine
. Pulmonary Care
Opened in October of 2007,IMC employs over 4.40Dlndividuals and is licensed for 472 beds.