# TORCH LAKE
> **Judicial** · FY1997 · — · Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `30131`
- **Case Number:** 05-1997-0125
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Specified Cost Recovery
- **Penalty assessed:** —
- **Cost recovery:** $325K
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- COPPER RANGE (complaint) (settlement)
## 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.

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*Source: [EPA ECHO](https://echo.epa.gov/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*