Support for EPA listing comes mainly from elsewhere in state; opposition mainly from county political leaders

More than 100 comments have been posted regarding the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to list US Magnesium as a Superfund site on the National Priorities List of the nation’s most contaminated places.

Nearly all comments received so far are in support of listing. However, virtually none of those comments are from Tooele County residents.

The EPA claims contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins/furans, hexachlorobenzene (HCB), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals and acidic wastewater have been released at US Magnesium’s Rowley site for years, posing both cancerous and non-cancerous health risks to humans and wildlife. The EPA solicited public comments on the company’s proposed listing from September though the end of November.

US Magnesium officials say listing would hinder, rather than facilitate, voluntary action by the company to address issues at US Magnesium, as well as threaten its business. It also believes the EPA has disregarded its “Hazard Ranking System” in order to get a score high enough to justify US Magnesium’s proposed listing.

In addition, the company believes its proposed listing could be a sort of retaliation against RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) and TSCA (Toxic Substances Control Act) lawsuits brought on by the EPA against the company that were not successful.

Tom Tripp, technical services manager for US Magnesium, said the company expects the EPA to look at their submitted comments and then meet with them in the near future.

“I expect we’ll arrange to meet with them maybe the first quarter of next year,” he said. “And then see if there’s something that can be worked out. That’s what I expect is going to happen.”

The only Tooele County residents to comment on the EPA’s plan were county political leaders, all of whom are opposed to the listing.

In a letter, county commissioners cited several reasons why US Magnesium should not be a Superfund site, foremost of which was that 430 workers depend upon the continued operation of the plant for their livelihoods. A second reason was that the county depended heavily upon direct and indirect tax revenues generated by US Magnesium.

Commissioners are also concerned that the stigma associated with the listing could threaten the economic viability of US Magnesium. In addition, the commission claims listing would decrease property values causing lower property tax revenues.

Commissioners say they have reviewed extensive studies and reports, including risk assessment documents by the EPA and US Magnesium.

“We believe the EPA’s scoring documentation substantially overstates the potential risk to humans and the environment attributable to the site,” the commissioners’ statement says. “We also have not received any reports of wildlife being adversely impacted by contamination at the plant and do not consider the US Magnesium site to be a sensitive or unique ecological habitat.”

Another reason the commission opposes the company’s listing is that they claim it would only lengthen the time needed for any cleanup.

“For example, we understand that if the site is listed, the next step would be for EPA to perform, or force US Magnesium to perform, a remedial investigation and feasibility study,” the commissioners’ statement says. “This would be a waste of time and resources given that the work of characterizing the site and evaluating remedial alternatives already has been conducted at this site over the past half-decade.”

State representatives Ronda Menlove and Jim Gowans, and state senators Peter Knudson, Brent Goodfellow, Mark Madsen and Ralph Oklerlund also signed a letter opposing the listing. They cited several awards US Magnesium has received for environmental responsibility and improvement that company has made to the plant recently to improve workers health and safety.

There are also those who are in favor of US Magnesium’s proposed listing.

Chip Ward, who lived in Grantsville for 28 years before moving to Torrey, Utah, — near Capitol Reef National Park — submitted a comment supporting the EPA’s proposed listing of US Magnesium.

He said in the time he and his family lived in Grantsville “we suffered more than our share of headaches and sore throats on days when Magcorp’s old pollution abatement system broke down and chlorine gas filled the valley. A community health survey I organized in 1995-96 showed high rates for cancer, auto-immune illnesses, and birth defects, as well as an MS cluster. Although Magcorp cannot be blamed for poor community health, it didn’t help.”

Ward said he’s not surprised there have not been many comments either for or against the company’s proposed listing from those living in Tooele County.

“The wonderful thing about small towns is people are connected — extended family, neighbors, church members. The problem is nobody wants to rock the boat. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you or that feeds your neighbors or that feeds your family,” he said.

Cindy King, who lives in the Salt Lake Valley, has tracked hazardous waste issues since joining the Sierra Club in 1986 and a year later founding its Environmental Health Committee.

“I honestly think Magcorp needs to refocus and clean up, and they need to be responsible and help pay for the Superfund cleanup,” she said.

No timetable has been set yet by the EPA for reaching a decision on the proposed listing.

Sarah Miley: swest@tooeletranscript.com