Henryetta Iron and Metal Superfund Site

• Location: Henryetta, Okmulgee County, Oklahoma
• Township and Range: NE 1/4 SE 1/4 of Section 11, Township 11N, Range 12E
• Latitude/Longitude: 35.439996, -95.999803
• Site Type: Metal Salvage Yard
• Area: ~3 acres
• National Priorities List: Final Listing Date - September 3, 2020
• Current Status: Remedial Investigation

• Cleanup Oversight Agencies: DEQ and EPA
• Lead Agency: DEQ
• Office: DEQ, Land Protection Division, (405) 702-5100
• DEQ Site Project Manager: Lynn Nguyen, (405) 702-5102
• DEQ Backup Project Manager: Makenna Hartman, (405) 702-5159
• EPA Remedial Project Manager: Colin Jonason, (214) 665-6740
• DEQ Press Contact: Skylar McElhaney, (405) 702-7167

Henryetta Iron and Metal operations consisted of acquiring an assortment of metal-containing objects from various sources for recycling.  The property has been used as a metal salvage yard since the 1930s.  Other businesses that have occupied the property include a blacksmith, motor freight lines, a welding facility, and a pipe and supply company.  Electrical transformers containing Polychlorinated Biphenyls were reportedly recycled on-ste beginning in the 1950s.

DEQ began its CERCLA site assessment in 2016 starting with the Preliminary Assessment.  In 2017, DEQ completed a Site Inspection that included environmental sampling of nearby residential properties and Dutch Creek.  In 2018, DEQ completed an Expanded Site Inspection that included environmental sampling of on-site soils and Dutch Creek.  In 2019, DEQ collected additional samples of on-site soils after EPA's Removal Action was completed.

Removal History: In 2010, EPA Emergency Removal and DEQ screened on-site drums and found radiation levels as high as 1.2 millirems per hour.  The facility owner was then instructed to over-pack and secure for disposal.

In 2018, after DEQ found on-site contamination in nearby residential yards, EPA Emergency Removal conducted a removal action on affected residential properties and the city right-of-way.  The removal action involved the removal of contaminated soils as well as the construction of an earthen berm, property contouring, and a fence to control future contamination migration back onto the remediated residential areas.

In October 2022, EPA Emergency Removal began a Time-Critical Removal Action related to on-site contamination from both the north and south sections of the site.  The removal disposed of nearly 20,000 tons of contaminated material and debris.  EPA Emergency Removal completed the action in July 2023.

Remedial History: In October 2024, DEQ hired an architectural and engineering consulting firm to begin the Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) of the site.  Phase 1 of the RI/FS will review all environmental data generated to date regarding the site and is anticipated to be completed by November 2025.

• Sources of Contamination: Improper waste storage and disposal practices has contaminted soils on-site and Dutch Creek.
• Contaminants of Concern: Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Metals, and PAHs
• Media Affected: Soil, Sediments, and Groundwater