The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 8 (EPA) and
the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) are working together to
advance remediation of the former Nedlog and Williams Strategic Metals property
(Nedlog Site).
Located 2.5 miles south of Laramie, Wyoming, the Nedlog Site began operations as an alumina plant in 1943 during World War II. The pilot plant was constructed to create a strategic
resource of alumina, the base material for aluminum metal. In the mid-1950’s, operations transitioned under
the Ideal Cement Company to light aggregate production. Aggregate production continued until the mid-1960's.
In the mid-1970’s, Nedlog Technology Group began operating the
facility for secondary metal recovery. The
facility received materials, including coke, flue dust, smelter waste and waste
ore, for further processing to extract metals such as mercury, indium and
arsenic acid. In 1982, Nedlog sold some
assets and property to Williams Strategic Metals, Inc. which continued operations
at the facility.
Since the late 1980's, the Site has undergone numerous remediation efforts. In 1988, EPA signed a consent agreement with
Williams for violations of RCRA, EPA’s hazardous waste regulations. Under the
EPA consent agreement, remediation began in 1988 and continued through 2001. The Nedlog Site later entered Wyoming’s
Voluntary Remediation Program in 2011.
EPA’s Emergency Response Program plans to continue clean-up
of the Site with container removal and additional
assessment of the arsenic acid buildings.