Marianne Sullivan, MPH, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th St., Center for Applied Public Health, New York, NY 10032, 212-305-4104, ms2489@columbia.edu

From 1890 through 1985, Ruston Washington, a small town near Tacoma, was home to one of the country’s most polluting smelters, which produced lead, copper, precious metals, arsenic trioxide, and sulfuric acid at various points during its’ operation. Owned by the American Smelting and Refining Company (Asarco), and primarily a copper smelter, the Tacoma smelter was unique for two reasons: it was able to process ore with high arsenic content; and it was located in an urban area. The environmental consequences of nearly a century of smelting, still being uncovered, are widespread arsenic, lead and other heavy metal contamination of mainland soils; contamination of islands and sediments in Puget Sound; and arsenic slag, a by-product of smelting, dispersed throughout the region. Social consequences include residents’ concerns about health, as awareness of potential exposure to toxins is introduced into every day activities; lawsuits against Asarco; and public questioning of the governmental agencies that were charged with regulating the plant and protecting the public’s health. To this day, Asarco denies that there have been any health effects from nearly a century of smelting. Local regulatory agencies attempted, at various points, to regulate both arsenic and sulfur dioxide, two of the primary contaminants of concern. They were, however, largely unsuccessful. This presentation will discuss provide a historical perspective on how the company successfully avoided regulation, and will touch on the roles of the various actors including Asarco, the smelting industry, the federal government, local agencies and citizen groups.

Learning Objectives:

• By the end of the presentation participants will be able to identify how evolving concern about the smelter was related to the developing environmental movement.
• By the end of the presentation participants will develop an understanding of the historical antecedents of the current widespread soil contamination in the Puget Sound region.

Keywords: Environmental Health Hazards, Regulations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.