Lava Cap Mine

NPL Site
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Nevada City, CA

According to the EPA Superfund Enterprise Management System, Lava Cap Mine in Nevada City, CA is listed with NPL status NPL Site. Its Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is 33.66. The public extract catalogs 43 contaminant records for this site. NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation, not a measured health-risk score.

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Superfund National Priorities List inclusion (status and HRS score shown above) is the EPA's formal designation that a contaminated site qualifies for long-term federal cleanup authority under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). A federal-facility classification means the site is owned or operated by a federal agency, which routes cleanup responsibility differently than a privately owned site.

"Construction Complete" (status shown above) is an EPA milestone marking that the physical remedy work is finished, not that the site has exited EPA oversight; long-term monitoring can continue afterward. Deletion from the NPL is a separate, later step the EPA takes only once it determines every planned response action is finished.

NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation in the EPA record, not a quantitative health-risk score. HRS scores of 28.50 or above qualify a site for the NPL under the EPA screening model (toxicity, pathways, waste quantity, and affected population factors). For current site conditions and official community notices, see the EPA Regional Superfund profile and the California environmental agency.

What is the cleanup status of this Superfund site?

NPL Status
NPL Site
Federal Facility
No
Construction Complete
No
HRS Score
33.66
Deleted from NPL
No

Contaminants

Contaminant Media
ANTIMONY Sediment
ANTIMONY Soil
ANTIMONY Surface Water
ARSENIC Groundwater
ARSENIC Sediment
ARSENIC Soil
ARSENIC Surface Water
BARIUM Surface Water
BERYLLIUM Surface Water
CADMIUM Sediment
CADMIUM Soil
CADMIUM Surface Water
COBALT Sediment
COBALT Soil
COBALT Surface Water
COPPER Sediment
COPPER Soil
COPPER Surface Water
CYANIDE Sediment
CYANIDE Soil
CYANIDE Surface Water
IRON Sediment
IRON Soil
LEAD Sediment
LEAD Soil
LEAD Surface Water
MANGANESE Sediment
MANGANESE Soil
MANGANESE Surface Water
MERCURY Sediment
MERCURY Soil
MERCURY Surface Water
NICKEL Sediment
NICKEL Soil
NICKEL Surface Water
SELENIUM Sediment
SELENIUM Soil
SILVER Sediment
SILVER Soil
SILVER Surface Water
ZINC Sediment
ZINC Soil
ZINC Surface Water

Location

City
Nevada City
Coordinates
39.2281, -120.9699

Other Superfund Sites in California

Site Name Status HRS Score
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. NPL Site 37.93
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (Building 915) NPL Site 31.94
Aerojet General Corp. NPL Site 54.63
Afterthought Mine NPL Site 50.00
Alameda Naval Air Station NPL Site 50.00
Alark Hard Chrome NPL Site 50.50
AMCO Chemical NPL Site 50.00
Applied Materials NPL Site 31.94
Argonaut Mine NPL Site 58.31
Atlas Asbestos Mine NPL Site 45.55

How does this site's HRS score compare in California?

Of the 116 California Superfund sites with a scored Hazard Ranking System (HRS) evaluation, Lava Cap Mine ranks #84 by score (33.66).

Either side of it: Koppers Co., Inc. (Oroville Plant) (33.73), Louisiana-Pacific Corp. (33.73), CTS Printex, Inc. (33.62), Edwards Air Force Base (33.62)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Lava Cap Mine Superfund site?
Lava Cap Mine, in Nevada City, CA, sits toward the lower end of California's Hazard Ranking System scores (HRS 33.66, rank #84 of 116 scored sites) among the state's Superfund sites. A lower HRS rank within the state does not mean no cleanup obligation -- Superfund sites are contaminated locations identified by the EPA for long-term cleanup under CERCLA regardless of relative score.
What does NPL listing mean for Lava Cap Mine?
According to the EPA, National Priorities List (NPL) listing designates a site for long-term federal Superfund cleanup authority. It is a programmatic status in the Superfund Enterprise Management System, not a quantitative health-risk score for nearby residents. Construction-complete status is not marked in the EPA record for this site. Site-specific conditions and community guidance are published by EPA Regional Superfund offices and the relevant state environmental agency.
What is the HRS score for Lava Cap Mine?
Lava Cap Mine's Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is 33.66, placing it #84 of 116 California Superfund sites with a scored HRS evaluation -- among the lower-scored sites in the state. Sites with a score of 28.50 or greater qualify for the NPL; the model weighs contaminant toxicity, waste quantity, release likelihood, and affected population, and is not a community health diagnosis.
What contaminants are at the Lava Cap Mine site?
The EPA public Superfund extract catalogs 43 contaminants at Lava Cap Mine, documented through the remedial investigation process. Counts reflect listed records in that extract, not a complete inventory of every substance ever present.
What is the cleanup status of Lava Cap Mine?
Lava Cap Mine is currently NPL Site on the National Priorities List. The EPA Superfund cleanup process includes phases from preliminary assessment through post-construction completion.

NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation in the EPA record, not a quantitative health-risk score. See Superfund Sites Explained for how the National Priorities List, Hazard Ranking System, and cleanup phases work.

Related

Data sourced from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro