Cal West Metals (USSBA)

Overview

Cal West Metals is a 43.8-acre former battery breaking and recycling facility in Lemitar, New Mexico. It processed about 20,000 automobile batteries between 1979 and 1981. That operation left soil, sediment, and debris contaminated with metals and other compounds. The site was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL), which is the federal government's list of the most serious hazardous waste sites. It was removed from that list in December 1996 after cleanup was finished.

Contaminants found at the site include metals such as lead, antimony, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, nickel, and silver. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including benzo[a]pyrene and chrysene, were found in sediment. The phthalate compound bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate was found in soil. These contaminants were present in soil, sediment, sludge, liquid waste, and solid waste across the property.

Cleanup involved excavating about 45,000 cubic yards of contaminated material, treating it through solidification and stabilization, and capping it on site. A Restrictive Covenant put in place in 2005 prohibits disturbing the repository cell. Fencing and warning signs control access. The New Mexico Environment Department now maintains the cap and monitors groundwater. About 1,000 people draw drinking water from public and private wells within three miles of the site. The area around the property is primarily agricultural and residential.

The most recent Five-Year Review, completed in May 2025, confirmed that the remedy is working as designed and is protective of human health and the environment. Human exposure and groundwater migration are both under control, with no unacceptable exposure pathways identified. The site reached "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status in June 2006. The original owners declared bankruptcy in 1985, the Small Business Administration held the property after foreclosure, and the City of Socorro purchased it in 1997. A tenant, Ezell Aluminum Fabrication, operates a metal warehouse on the south end of the property and has since purchased the site from the city.

Community members who want to learn more can read the Sixth Five-Year Review Report, published May 9, 2025, at https://semspub.epa.gov/work/06/100033365.pdf. A printed copy is available at the Socorro Public Library, 401 Park Street, Socorro, New Mexico 87801, reachable at 575.835.1114.