Henryetta Iron and Metal

Overview

Henryetta Iron and Metal is a former scrap-metal salvage yard on the west side of Henryetta in southern Okmulgee County, Oklahoma. The property has operated as a salvage yard since the 1930s and also housed a blacksmith shop, welding facility, and pipe supply company over the years. Electrical transformers containing PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) were recycled on-site starting in the 1950s. The facility is no longer active, though scrap piles remain on the property. Oklahoma referred the site to the EPA after no other viable long-term cleanup options existed, and the site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) on September 3, 2020.

Soils, groundwater, and downstream sediments are contaminated with PCBs, metals, and PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Residential yards south of and downhill from the site contain those contaminants above EPA Regional Screening Levels. An unnamed creek downstream is also contaminated with PCBs from the facility. The site is unfenced and accessible to nearby residents.

The EPA completed an initial assessment in September 2016 and began a remedial investigation in September 2021. Removal actions took place from October through November 2018, during which contaminated soil was removed from three residential properties and the city right of way. A berm was then built to redirect surface water away from those cleaned-up homes. A second round of removal actions ran from October 2022 through July 2023. The site is divided into two operable units, and a combined remedial investigation and feasibility study for Operable Unit 1 is ongoing. No remedy has been selected yet, and construction has not started.

The EPA has determined that human exposure is currently under control, meaning assessments show no unacceptable human exposure pathways at this time. However, groundwater migration control status is unclear due to insufficient data about how contaminated groundwater is moving. Physical cleanup construction is not yet complete, and the site is not ready for anticipated reuse.

Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.