NPL Site Narrative for Martin-Marietta Aluminum Co. MARTIN-MARIETTA ALUMINUM CO. The Dalles, Oregon Conditions at proposal (October 15, 1984): Martin-Marietta Aluminum Co. produces aluminum on a site covering less than 350 acres in The Dalles, Wasco County, Oregon. Cyanide is present in both the shallow and deep aquifers underlying the site, according to tests conducted by the State and Martin-Marietta. Cyanide appeared in one production well and several monitoring wells, and also in surface run-off and in leachate from a cathode waste pile. Cyanide is known to be present in spent cathode potliners. Under State order, the company removed an old waste pile of 75,000 tons of spent cathode potliners to a new approved area on the site. An on-site landfill contains approximately 4,600 tons of spent cathodes. Ground water provides drinking water to 14,000 people in The Dalles and Chenoweth. The wells are also used in the immediate vicinity for industrial purposes. The nearest well is approximately 2,000 feet from the waste pile. The company has constructed several monitoring wells around the site to detect and document the contamination. Status (June 10,1986): Martin-Marietta hired a contractor to conduct a remedial investigation/feasibility study (RI/FS) to determine the type and extent of contamination at the site and identify alternatives for remedial action. The company has submitted a workplan for the RI/FS to EPA for review and comment. On September 12, 1985, EPA and the company signed a Consent Order covering the RI/FS. For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at ATSDR - ToxFAQs (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp) or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737. ------- |