The Tulsa Fuel and Manufacturing site sits on 61 acres in Collinsville, Oklahoma, within Tulsa County. It operated as a zinc smelter and lead roaster from 1914 to 1925, leaving behind heavy metal contamination. EPA added it to the National Priorities List in 1999 and deleted it in September 2020 after cleanup construction was completed.
The main contaminants are arsenic, cadmium, and lead, along with zinc. These were found in soil, sediment, and surface water within the on-site landfill area. Arsenic and lead appeared in soil and sediment. Cadmium turned up in soil, sediment, and surface water. Zinc was found in soil only. Arsenic is a known carcinogen, cadmium can cause kidney damage and is a probable human carcinogen, and lead is especially harmful to children's brain development and nervous system.
From 2015 to 2016, crews excavated roughly 186,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil, sediment, and waste and placed it into an 11-acre on-site consolidation cell. The cell is fenced and monitored by four groundwater wells. Annual groundwater monitoring has found no exceedances of Safe Drinking Water Act limits for arsenic or lead, and cadmium has never been detected in site groundwater. Deed notices filed with the Tulsa County Clerk restrict the consolidation cell area from residential, childcare, or school uses, and no buildings may be built there. A separate area is limited to commercial and industrial use only.
EPA completed a Second Five-Year Review in August 2024. The review found that human exposure and groundwater migration are under control, but the overall protectiveness of the cleanup cannot be confirmed yet. Soil lead and cadmium levels need to be re-examined using EPA's updated residential lead guidance and new cadmium risk parameters. EPA expects to finish that reevaluation within about four years. In the meantime, fencing, erosion controls, and groundwater monitoring continue. Part of the site has hosted beekeeping operations since 2019, and discussions are ongoing about planting pollinator-friendly flowers on a portion of the property.
Community members who want to learn more can read the 2024 Five-Year Review Report at the Collinsville Public Library, 1223 West Main Street, or online at the EPA document link on file. Questions can go to the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. State-level questions can be directed to the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.
