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Home | Image Galleries | Natural Resource Restoration

Asarco Site Tour

See how CPRD worked with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state environmental agencies, and responsible parties to help create a new habitat as part of a hazardous waste site clean-up. The following photographs were taken on August 28, 2000 during a site visit sponsored by Asarco to view the removal of slag from the intertidal zone, the protection of remaining slag from erosion, and construction of new intertidal habitats.

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Dumptrucks bring large rocks to Asarco remediation site.

Asarco Site Dumptrucks

The dump trucks (on the hill to the right) are bringing large rocks and sand to the site, which the excavators and backhoes carefully place to create the new embayment?s shoreline. Very large native rocks are being used as riprap on the high (curved) shoreline to protect the remaining slag from erosion during storms. The aging pier will be allowed to decay naturally.

(08.28.00, Tacoma, Washington)

Related Pages on Our Site

Creating New Habitat As Part of Hazardous Waste Cleanup at Asarco Asarco operated one of the largest North American smelters from 1890 to 1985 in Tacoma, Washington, leaving a legacy of toxic slag along the shoreline. OR&R scientists worked with EPA and Asarco to incorporate habitat into the shoreline cleanup.