Superfund Site | Mountain View Mobile Home Estates

This site was removed from EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) in 1988

Location

The Mountain View Mobile Homes Estates Superfund site is located on the east side of the city of Globe in Gila County, Arizona. The 17-acre mobile home subdivision was developed in 1973 at the site of the Metate Asbestos Corporation Asbestos Mill. The property is owned by the state of Arizona.

Contaminants of Concern

Air and soil on-site were contaminated with asbestos.

Public Health Impact

On Nov. 30, 1979, the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) sent residents a letter apprising them of the health hazard and recommending they take immediate measures to minimize their personal exposure risk. Prior to site cleanup, area residents who came in direct contact with or accidentally ingested the asbestos-containing soil may have been at risk.

Site Hydrogeology

The site is located in the Gila River drainage basin and surface water drains to the San Carlos River. Groundwater is not currently used on-site but the regional Gila Conglomerate Aquifer is the primary source of water in the area. The site is not considered a threat to groundwater resources, so no hydrogeologic investigation has been conducted.

Action Taken

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted a Remedial Investigation (RI) and Feasibility Study (FS). Written comments were received on the RI and FS which supported permanent relocation as the only way to effectively mitigate the human health threat. The selected remedy included the permanent relocation of the mobile home residents, the on-site demolition and burial of the homes and other structures, and the covering of asbestos-contaminated soils and materials with clean soil, crushed rock, and a filter fabric to cap the waste left in place. The remedy also included fencing around the property to protect the cover, signage to keep out trespassers and institutional controls in the form of a deed restriction. The construction of the remedy was completed in 1986.

Status

Annual inspections and inspections following inclement weather continue to be conducted along with regular mowing, brush removal and routine maintenance. In May 2015, the EPA finalized an Explanation of Significance Difference (ESD) to the Record of Decision (ROD) making the institutional controls imposed by ADEQ’s Declaration of Environmental Use Restriction (DEUR) part of the final remedy for the site. A Five-Year Review conducted in 2020 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, EPA, and ADEQ determined that the site remedy continues to be protective of public health and the environment.