The Petrochem Recycling Corp./Ekotek site covers 7 acres in northern Salt Lake City, Utah. It was used for oil refining, hazardous waste storage and treatment, and used oil recycling. Improper and illegal waste handling released hazardous chemicals into soil and groundwater. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in October 1992 and deleted it in June 2003 after cleanup goals were met.
EPA identified 37 contaminants of concern at the site. Groundwater contains metals such as arsenic, beryllium, mercury, nickel, and thallium, along with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including benzene, chloroform, vinyl chloride, and trichloroethene. Soil contamination includes polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) like benzo(a)pyrene and naphthalene, pesticide residues, and metals including beryllium and nickel.
Cleanup work ran from 1999 to 2000 and included excavating oily liquid wastes floating on groundwater, removing contaminated soil, and using bioremediation and natural attenuation to address groundwater. Earlier removal actions stabilized on-site wastes, removed storage tanks and containers, and disposed of contaminated sludge and equipment. The selected remedy also includes an engineered cap, onsite consolidation of materials, and institutional controls that restrict residential land use and groundwater use. Two Explanations of Significant Differences modified the remedy in 1997 and 1999, with the 1999 change adding offsite disposal as an option.
Human exposure is currently under control, and groundwater migration is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. All cleanup goals have been met for current and anticipated future land uses. The site is now occupied by a company that sells used heavy trucks and parts. Five-year reviews continue to confirm the remedy stays protective. The most recent review was completed in September 2021. The next review is estimated between September and November 2026.
Community members can review site documents at the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Department at the University of Utah or at the EPA Superfund Records Center in Denver, Colorado. Copies of administrative records can be requested by phone at 303-312-7273 or toll-free at 800-227-8917, extension 312-7273 (EPA Region 8 only). The public can also contact the EPA or Utah Department of Environmental Quality (UDEQ) project managers with questions or to participate in the ongoing five-year review process.
