The Atlas Asbestos Mine covers 435 acres near Coalinga in Fresno County, California. The mine operated from 1963 to 1979 and left behind extensive asbestos tailings. Mining and milling activities spread contamination into Coalinga itself, affecting air, surface water, sediment, and soil in the city. The site was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in September 1984. The NPL is the federal government's list of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country.
The primary contaminants are asbestos and nickel. Asbestos is found in soil, solid waste, air, surface water, and buildings across both the mine site and the City of Coalinga area. Nickel is present in soil, buildings, and solid waste in the Coalinga area. EPA identified these contaminants because they pose unacceptable risks to human health or the environment based on the amounts present and potential exposure effects. Asbestos poses risks through inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact.
Cleanup was divided into two main areas. At the mine itself, work ran from 1994 through 1999 and included diverting stream flow, building sediment dams, regrading waste pile slopes, erecting fences, and placing deed restrictions on private property. In Coalinga, cleanup ran from 1989 through 1993 and involved excavating 20,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil, building an underground waste management unit with an impermeable cap, and adding deed restrictions. Construction at the mine site was completed September 2, 1999. A portion of the site covering the City of Coalinga was deleted from the NPL in April 1998, though the full site has not yet been deleted.
Human exposure is currently under control. All cleanup goals for current and foreseeable future land uses have been met, required land-use restrictions are in place, and no unacceptable risks remain. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status on September 27, 2010. Five-Year Reviews completed in 2006, 2016, and 2021 all confirmed the remedy continues to protect human health and the environment. A sixth Five-Year Review is underway, with the report due by September 30, 2026. One on-site business operates at the location. Nearby public lands in the Clear Creek Management Area carry additional risk from naturally occurring asbestos, and the Bureau of Land Management updated its Resource Management Plan to address recreational exposure in that area.
Community members who want to stay informed can attend or follow the ongoing Five-Year Review process. Once the 2026 review report is complete, EPA will post it online and send a copy to its Superfund Records Center in San Francisco.
