This Removal Action was completed on February 8, 2023. The Caney Residential Yards Site has since been listed on the National Priorities List (NPL). Remedial Actions on the NPL site include cleaning up and restoring residential yards with a concentration of lead in soil above 200 mg/k total lead, as opposed the 400 mg/kg action-level implemented for the completed time-critical Removal Action. Information regarding the ongoing Remedial Actions at the Caney Residential Yards Superfund Site can be found on the online site profile page.
The Site consists of areas of high concentrations of lead contamination from historical smelting operations in the City of Caney, Kansas. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) have documented high levels of heavy metal contamination in soils and waste at the Site. Two former lead and zinc smelter facilities are located in Caney, KS. The site includes properties near the Owen Zinc site and the American Zinc, Lead and Smelting (AZLS) site. The AZLS site (EPA ID #KSD984971986) was the subject of a potentially responsible party (PRP) non-time critical removal action that was completed in 2000 with EPA oversight. The removal action documentation for the AZLS site are available in the EPA administrative record. The Owen Zinc site (KDHE ID #C306300193) was the subject of a PRP-lead cleanup under KDHE oversight, which was completed in 2004.
In response to a citizen complaint, KDHE conducted an Integrated Site Evaluation in February 2013 to determine if hazardous substances were present at a residential property on North State Street, which is directly south of the Owens Zinc Site. KDHE’s sampling identified elevated levels of lead in surficial soil at the residence. KDHE determined that a soil cleanup action was warranted and, in a letter dated March 15, 2015, KDHE referred the site to EPA for a time-critical Removal Action consistent with the
In June 2015, EPA initiated a Removal Site Evaluation to resample the property on North State Street in accordance with the Superfund Lead Contaminated Residential Sites Handbook (OSWER 9285.7-50), and with the EPA Standard Operating Procedure 4230.19A entitled Soil Sampling at Lead-Contaminated Residential Sites. The EPA sampled additional properties in an effort to determine the extent to which lead contamination is present in residential yards proximal to historic smelter facilities in Caney. In late November 2016, EPA initiated a Removal Action to clean up lead contaminated residential yards in Caney. Removal Actions were completed on February 8, 2023.
In total, EPA Region 7's Removal program sampled 1,041 residential properties, and completed cleanup and restoration of 344 residential properties with lead contamination concentrations in yard soils above the Removal action level of 400 mg/kg. A Final POLREP summarizing the completed Removal Action is available for review or download on the Pol/SitReps section of this website.
