Jacobs Smelter

Overview

Jacobs Smelter covers about eight square miles in Rush Valley near Stockton, Utah. Mining and smelting operations from the 1860s and 1870s left behind contaminated soil, mill tailings, and smelter waste. The site was added to the National Priorities List in February 2000. It is divided into six operable units, each addressing a different geographic area or contamination type.

Lead and arsenic are the two contaminants of concern. Both are found in soil across residential and non-residential areas. People can be exposed by eating or breathing contaminated soil and dust. Children under age seven face the greatest risk because lead harms developing brains, and children spend more time outdoors and are more likely to put soil in their mouths. Animals face risk primarily from lead-contaminated soil. The EPA has determined that human exposure is not currently under control at the site.

Cleanup progress varies by operable unit. Residential soils in Operable Unit 1 were cleaned between 2000 and 2001, removing soil above 500 parts per million lead, and that unit was deleted from the National Priorities List in September 2001. Operable Unit 2, covering residential and non-residential soils, completed remedial action in December 2024 and entered an operation and maintenance phase. Recent work funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act excavated about 80,000 tons of contaminated soil from the Waterman Smelter area between 2022 and 2023. The Union Pacific property was partially delisted in November 2005. The Kennecott Waterman area completed removal actions by September 2009 and is estimated for partial delisting between December 2026 and February 2027. An investigation at Operable Unit 6, the Chicago and Carson Boozer Smelters area, is expected to wrap up between March and May 2027. A five-year review was completed on September 18, 2025.

Institutional controls limit exposure to remaining contamination. The Town of Stockton passed Ordinance 2000-4, requiring permits for any excavation below 18 inches so that material is tested and handled properly. An environmental covenant at Operable Unit 4 has been recorded with the Tooele County recorder's office. Zoning restrictions prevent incompatible land uses such as new residential development in affected areas. The site currently supports nine on-site businesses employing 50 people with about $4.7 million in annual sales.

The EPA is also evaluating risks under its October 2025 Lead Directive, which updated the blood lead level of concern and soil screening level for lead at Superfund sites. Community members can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator with questions or to share input on cleanup decisions. The Utah Department of Environmental Quality also provides site information.