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TORCH LAKE

Judicial · FY1997 · — · Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery · 30131

Penalty
$325K
Cost recovery
Compliance action

Case

Case Number
05-1997-0125
Type
Judicial
Lead
EPA
Outcome
Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
Multimedia
N
Self-disclosure
N

Defendants (1)

Summary

THE TORCH LAKE SITE CONSISTS OF THREE OPERABLE UNITS (OU'S) AROUND THE KEWENAW PENINSULA, THE LOCATION OF COPPER MINING, MILLING AND SMELTING FROM 1868 TO 1968. THE SITE WAS LISTED ON THE NPL IN 1986. EPA ISSUED RECORDS OF DECISION ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1992 FOR OU'S I AND III; AND ON MARCH 31, 1994 FOR OU II. FOR OU'S I AND III, THE SELECTED REMEDY IS STABILIZATION AND VEGETATION OF ON-LAND TAILINGS AND SLAG PILES, BASED ON THE ECOLOGICAL RISK OF CONTINUOUS RELEASE. DEED RESTRICTIONS AND REMOVAL OF DEBRIS ARE ALSO REQUIRED. FOR OU II, THE NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE WAS SELECTED. THE ON-LAND REMEDY WAS FOUND TO BE SUFFICIENT TO ALLOW REPAIR OF DAMAGE TO THE BENTHIC COMMUNITY BY NATURAL SEDIMENTATION. REMEDIAL DESIGN AND REMEDIAL ACTION HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED. TOTAL COSTS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH APPROXIMATELY $9 MILLION. POTENTIALLY RESPONSIBLE PARTIES (PRP'S) INCLUDED BOTH PRESENT OWNERS AND GENERATORS. MOST PRESENT OWNERS WERE INDIVIDUAL LAND OWNERS AND MUNICIPALITIES, AND SETTLEMENT WITH THESE PARTIES WAS BASED ON CONSENT FOR ACCESS AND DEED RESTRICTIONS. MOST GENERATORS HAD DISSOLVED WITHOUT LEAVING SUCCESSORS. COPPER RANGE CO. (CRC) WAS THE SUCCESSOR TO A NUMBER OF GENERATORS. CRC MAD A GOOD FAITH OFFER OF $183,425 ON OCTOBER 17, 1995, LEADING TO A SETTLEMENT OF PAST AND FUTURE COSTS FOR $325,000.

Source

Authoritative
EPA ECHO
Machine
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