A secondary lead smelter operated in West Dallas for nearly 50 years, processing spent car batteries and scrap lead until it shut down in 1984. Waste materials and lead dust contaminated soil, sediment, and groundwater across the site. Wind carried lead dust into nearby parks, schools, and neighborhoods. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1995 under the Superfund program.
The four contaminants of concern are lead, arsenic, antimony, and cadmium. They appear in soil, sediment, surface water, groundwater, debris, and sludge. Lead is the most widespread, found across residential properties, the Dallas Housing Authority property, slag piles, and smelter tracts. Arsenic is present in all major site areas. These contaminants pose unacceptable risks to human health and the environment.
EPA divided the site into five operable units. Units 1 and 2 required no further action after early removal work addressed immediate threats. Units 3, 4, and 5 involved soil excavation, building demolition, capping, and groundwater monitoring. Between 1991 and 1994, more than 400 yards were cleaned up, and blood-lead levels in children living nearby dropped significantly. Construction of all remedial actions was completed by 2004. EPA deleted units 4 and part of unit 5 from the NPL in 2007.
Human exposure to contaminants is currently under control across the entire site, and contaminated groundwater migration is stabilized. However, in 2025 EPA issued updated guidance for evaluating lead in residential soil. Based on that guidance, EPA determined that additional investigation of previous residential cleanups is needed to ensure long-term protection. Remedial investigation is estimated to resume between May and July 2027 for residential properties and the Dallas Housing Authority property. The site has not been fully deleted from the NPL, and not all cleanup goals for current and future land uses have been met across the entire site.
Redevelopment has already taken root on cleaned-up portions. The site now hosts the Goodwill Industries of Dallas headquarters, churches, parks, schools, a YMCA, and commercial businesses. As of December 2024, 27 on-site businesses employed 1,075 people and generated roughly $63.6 million in annual sales. Community members with questions can contact EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator, the EPA Remedial Project Managers, or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
