Jibboom Junkyard

Overview

Jibboom Junkyard is a 9-acre former metal-salvage site in Sacramento, California. Associated Metals Company ran salvaging operations there from 1950 to 1965, leaving soil contaminated with copper, lead, zinc, pesticides, herbicides, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs, chemicals that evaporate easily and can be harmful if inhaled or ingested). EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL), the federal roster of the most contaminated sites in the country, in September 1983.

EPA selected a cleanup plan in May 1985. Workers excavated contaminated soil from about 2.3 acres and disposed of it offsite, then backfilled those areas with clean soil. That work ran from July 1985 through March 1988. The cleanup prevented groundwater contamination, and groundwater remains a concern at this site. By September 1991, EPA confirmed the cleanup goals had been met and deleted the site from the NPL.

About 7 acres of the property now sit beneath Interstate 5, which was built over the remaining contaminated ground. For that buried portion, EPA worked with the California Department of Transportation to set up notification procedures through their maintenance alert database and underground services alert system. The other roughly 2 acres between the freeway and the Sacramento River became Robert T. Matsui Waterfront Park, completed by the City of Sacramento in 2007. The park includes a pedestrian walkway, fountain plaza, river overlook with interpretive signage, and open green space with native plants. Future plans call for additional park and picnic areas, and major urban development is planned for former rail yards to the east.

In 2007, EPA conducted a discretionary Five-Year Review after Sacramento approved preliminary development plans that could increase residential use nearby. That review confirmed the remedy still protects human health and the environment, with residual soil concentrations within acceptable levels for residential use. Human exposure at the site is currently under control, and the site is ready for its anticipated use. The site achieved sitewide ready for anticipated reuse status on January 13, 2009.

Community members or property developers with questions about the site can contact the EPA Community Involvement Coordinator. Administrative records from a 1992 removal action, containing 170 documents related to cleanup efforts, are also available for public review.