The AT & SF (Clovis) site covers 140 acres in Clovis, New Mexico, centered on Santa Fe Lake and the surrounding uplands. Since the early 1900s, the lake received stormwater and wastewater runoff from a nearby rail yard, including discharge from hopper car washing, boiler operations, and diesel fueling. That runoff contaminated surface water, sediment, and soil across the site. The site sits above the Ogallala Aquifer, the drinking water source for Clovis, and about 31,000 people live within three miles of the property.
EPA identified 16 contaminants of concern spread across soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater. Detected chemicals include barium, boron, chloride, chromium, fluoride, hydrocarbons, lead, nitrate, selenium, sulfate, and total dissolved solids. The primary health risks came from ingestion or contact with contaminants in surface water, sediment, and soil.
The site was proposed for the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in December 1982 and finalized on the list in September 1983. A remedial investigation ran from 1983 to 1988, and EPA selected a cleanup plan in September 1988. That plan called for building a dike around the lake, installing a spray evaporation system, excavating and treating sediment, and applying bioremediation to soil. Construction ran from August 1989 through September 2000. About 187,000 cubic yards of soil and sediment were treated. The site was then restored with native grasses. EPA deleted the site from the NPL in March 2003.
Human exposure across the entire site is currently under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways remaining. Physical cleanup construction is complete, and the site has achieved sitewide ready-for-anticipated-reuse status. EPA conducts five-year reviews to confirm the remedy stays protective. The most recent review, completed in June 2023, confirmed the remedy is protective of human health and the environment in the short term. Continued protectiveness requires ongoing groundwater monitoring. The next five-year review is estimated between June and August 2028.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager. For state-related questions, contact the New Mexico Environment Department.
