EPA Superfund site
CHEROKEE ZINC - WEIR SMELTER
Exposure status: insufficient data
Data limitations: Proximity to a Superfund site boundary does not mean your property is contaminated. EPA site boundaries show the area designated for cleanup, not the full extent of contamination. Groundwater plumes can extend beyond site boundaries. This tool shows publicly available EPA federal data. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by EPA, and is not a substitute for a professional environmental assessment.
About this site's exposure pathways
As of June 2026, the Cherokee Zinc – Weir Smelter Superfund site is considered “Current Human Exposure Not Under Control” (HENC). Lead, cadmium, arsenic, and zinc are the contaminants of concern at this site due to historic smelting operations. The site is broken into two Operable Units: OU1 – Residential Yards and OU2 – Former Smelter. OU1 will address all contaminated soils at residential properties within the city limits of Weir, Kansas. OU2 is investigating to address surface water, groundwater, sediment, and soils outside of residential properties surrounding the former smelter. The listed media currently being characterized under the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) for OU1 and OU2 present unacceptable risk to human health and the environment through direct contact, ingestion, or inhalation exposure to receptors. These exposure pathways are considered unacceptable based on EPA risk-based criteria in accordance with the 2025 Lead Directive. As outlined in the 2025 Lead Directive, the EPA calculated a new risk-based preliminary remediation goal for lead using the Integrated Exposure Uptake Biokinetic Model (IEUBK version 2), using default values, to achieve a target children's blood lead level of 5 ug/dl. The results indicate that the risk-based residential preliminary remediation goal is 200 ppm. Although the human health and ecological risk assessments are ongoing, preliminary site sampling data document elevated lead concentrations above 200 ppm in multiple media types across the site. Currently, the planned activities to address OU1 as the primary areas of receptor exposures are to develop an Early Action Interim Record of Decision (ROD) for completion. A ROD for OU2 is anticipated in 2028 following the completion of the RI/FS. If you are impacted by risks inherent at this site, please contact the site’s Remedial Project Manager, Community Involvement Coordinator, or Cherokee County Health Department to learn more about blood lead level testing and how to keep you and your family safe. The EPA currently anticipates that human health exposure will be under control by 2031 when the final RODs for both OU1 and OU2 are in place. In addition, the EPA is currently addressing high priority residential properties where there are known exposures through removal actions. There have been two removal actions at the site addresses 57 residential properties in total.