IP02 Ecological Risk Assessment and Management of Smelters
B115 & B116
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Monday
(IP013) Ecological Risk Assessment At A Copper Smelter.
Adams, w1, Brix, K2, DeForest, D3, Toll, J3, Fairbrother, A4, Kaptuska, L5, 1 Rio Tinto, Murray, UT, USA2 EcoTox, Key Biscayne, FL, USA3 Parametrix, Inc., Kirkland, WA, USA4 US Environmental Protection Agency, Corvallis, OR, USA5 ep&t, Corvallis, OR, USA
ABSTRACT- The Kennecott Utah Copper smelter is located in an semi-arid environment (average annual rainfall of approximately 40 cm) between the southshore of the Great Salt Lake and the Oquirrh Mountains in Utah. Copper has been mined since 1903 by Kennecott and its predecessors from an open pit mine in the Oquirrh Mountains. Ore is transported to facilities located at the southshore of the Great Salt Lake for smelting and refining. Smelting began at the present location in 1906. The process of ore transportation, smelting and refining has led to the contamination of wetlands near the Great Salt Lake. Principal contaminants are copper and selenium, both associated with copper concentrate used for smelting. Contaminant data were collected beginning in 1995 in support of a baseline risk assessment and were refined in a detailed risk assessment. Understanding linkages between selenium contamination and sensitive receptors (shorebirds) was a primary focus of the risk assessment. Data were collected to allow for a deterministic and probabilistic assessment of risk to american avocets, black-necked stilts, and mallard ducks. The risk assessments identified areas of greatest risk and assisted in the development of a sediment remediation plan. The wetlands have been remediated and are currently being monitored for contaminants.
Key words: wetlands, smelter, selenium, remediation