Nl Industries Taracorp Lead Smelter

⚠ Superfund · Construction complete

July 2018 EPA is conducting a status review of the site's cleanup. This type of review is required at least every five years where the cleanup is complete but hazardous waste remains managed on-site. These reviews are done to ensure that the cleanup continues to protect people and the environment. This is the fifth five-year review.

Location

CityGranite City
CountyMadison County
StateIllinois
Coordinates38.69500, -90.15833

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 05/01/1983
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 10/15/1984
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 06/10/1986
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 03/11/1985
  5. Final Remedy Selected — 03/30/1990
  6. Remedial Action Started — 03/08/1991
  7. Construction Completed — 09/26/2000
  8. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved
  9. Most Recent Five-Year Review — 04/15/2024
  10. Achieved Sitewide Ready for Anticipated Reuse — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

Other Superfund sites in Madison County

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Nl Industries Taracorp Lead Smelter is a federal Superfund site in Illinois. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Construction complete. Physical construction of the cleanup remedy is complete, though long-term monitoring and institutional controls typically continue for years or decades. Groundwater treatment systems, for example, often run long after surface cleanup finishes.

Contaminants of concern include lead. Contamination has been detected in soil, solid waste.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.