.eturn to Use Initiativ
2007 Demonstration Project
Kennecott
Salt Lake Valley, Utah
mm
Barriers:
Early resistance to cleanup plans and the
need to develop a collaborative approach
with regulators and the community
Solution:
Innovative thinking, recognizing the
value of post-mining uses for land,
combined with a cooperative approach
to create a safe environment for
redevelopment
THE SITE: The Kennecott Mining site, about 25 miles southwest of Salt
Lake City, Utah, encompasses the Bingham Mining district in the Oquirrh
Mountains. Mining activities at the site began in the 1860s and continue to the
present at the large Bingham Canyon open-pit mine. The last remaining mining
company in the area, the Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation (Kennecott)
currently has land holdings of over 93,000 acres. These land holdings include
most of the historic mining area in the Oquirrh Mountains, which form the
western boundary of Salt Lake Valley. The site is divided into two zones: the
South Zone where ore is mined and concentrated and the North Zone where
ore is smelted and refined. The two Zones are connected by a slurry pipeline.
Although the Kennecott site was never placed on the National Priorities
List (NPL), its cleanup can be considered a major accomplishment of the
Superfund program and law. The threat of NPL listing served as a potent tool
to motivate Kennecott and other parties to clean up the site voluntarily. When
Kennecott executives learned from their own independent investigation the
scope and extent of contamination, they came back to the negotiating table with a cleanup proposal and a work plan. In the
1990s, Kennecott conducted removal work under the oversight of EPA and the Utah Department of Environmental Quality
to address heavy metals in site soils.
THE OPPORTUNITY: The desire to avoid Superfund's enforcement and
liability provisions, a changed perspective by corporate executives, and the
discovery of new real estate opportunities all influenced the drive to cleanup
extensive contamination over thousands of acres in both zones. As early as
1993, Kennecott realized the possibility for significant land reuse, specifically
the potential for real estate development, of large portions of its land holdings.
Expected substantial population growth over the next thirty years in the Salt
Lake Valley magnified the potential value of the land.
THE BARRIERS: Kennecott had to work to overcome early resistance
from regulatory agencies and community representatives over initial cleanup
plans. Kennecott, however, is a mining company and not a land development
company. In 2001, Kennecott established the Kennecott Land Company to
develop non-mining land. For the Kennecott Land Company's development plans to be successful, collaboration with
the city of South Jordan was required. This necessitated communication, community engagement and involvement, and
ultimately trust.
THE SOLUTION: Kennecott conducted a proactive environmental cleanup. Collaboration among EPA, the state of Utah,
and Kennecott has resulted in a process where EPA has control and oversight of the cleanup. Once the Kennecott Land
Company decided to build a residential community, it also decided to clean up all properties that will be sold to others to
residential standards. In addition, Kennecott only works with developers who are willing to follow its vision of sustainability
and safety. The Kennecott Land Company plans to maintain ownership of properties where waste is safely left in place and
Before:
Land representing a potentially big
liability due to contamination over
decades
After:
A development focused on economic and
social sustainability that is already home
to over 1,000 families
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated June 2009
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to lease them to appropriate parties. This unprecedented collaboration resulted in addressing the contamination quickly and
at significant savings to the corporation.
THE SITE NOW: Daybreak, built on the former South Jordan evaporation ponds, is a self-sustaining, pedestrian-friendly
community that opened in 2004 and is home to over 1,000 families. In 2009, commercial and retail uses were included in the
development. Rio Tinto, the parent company to Kennecott Land, opened a large, LEED certified corporate office within the
Daybreak development, and Daybreak has added a number of retail outlets, including grocery stores, restaurants and other
shops, to support the residential community. The community will eventually include up to 20,000 homes and 9.1 million
square feet of commercial buildings. The community will also feature 1,250 acres of parks, a recreational lake, community
services, and mass transit.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Rebecca Thomas, Region 8 Remedial Project Manager, at (303) 312-6552
or thomas.rebecca@,epa.gov: or Fran Costanzi, Region 8 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator, at (303) 312-6571 or
costanzi.frances@,epa.gov.
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Superfund Redevelopment Initiative
updated June 2009
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