Pagano Salvage is a 1.25-acre property about one mile southeast of Los Lunas, Valencia County, New Mexico, near the Rio Grande. In 1983, the facility bought electric transformers and capacitors containing polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated oil from Sandia National Laboratories. Workers drained the oil, poured it over insulated wire, and burned off the insulation to recover metal. That burning happened on unprotected ground at several spots across the site, leaving PCB contamination in the soil.
The site went through both federal and state cleanup actions, as well as work by potentially responsible parties. EPA carried out a removal action from June 1989 to June 1990, which addressed all significant risks. A Unilateral Administrative Order was issued in June 1989, and a Consent Decree was finalized in October 1993. A combined remedial investigation and feasibility study ran from June through September 1990. EPA selected "no further action" as the final remedy in a Record of Decision issued in September 1990, and physical construction of the cleanup was completed on September 12, 1991.
The site was deleted from the National Priorities List on October 14, 1992. Human exposure is currently under control across the entire site, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. Contaminated groundwater migration has been stabilized, with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. EPA will conduct monitoring to confirm that affected groundwater stays within the original contamination area. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status on June 21, 2006, meaning all cleanup goals for current and reasonably anticipated future land uses have been met and required land-use controls are in place.
Community members with questions can contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager assigned to the site. The New Mexico Environment Department also has a state-level contact available for inquiries.
