What is the nature of Blackwell’s contamination?
Over the course of its 58-year lifespan, the Blackwell Zinc Smelter polluted the town of Blackwell with heavy levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium and zinc. These substances are highly toxic and can cause cancer, brain damage and other health problems. Past attempts at remediation have failed, and large amounts of each toxin remain in and around Blackwell today. These substances continue to contaminate the town and endanger its residents on a daily basis. Lead and arsenic—both byproducts of the zinc-smelting process—were dispersed throughout the Blackwell area in the form of exhaust from the smelter’s smokestacks and in waste-bearing sand, known locally as “connie sand.” For decades, the smelter’s owners gave this contaminated sand to the community for landfill, road paving and other private and public uses. The smelter also produced cadmium, and a large amount of this toxin has polluted Blackwell’s groundwater.
