Torch Lake
NPL SiteHoughton County, MI
According to the EPA Superfund Enterprise Management System, Torch Lake in Houghton County, MI is listed with NPL status NPL Site. Its Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score is 46.72. The public extract catalogs 23 contaminant records for this site. EPA marks construction of the cleanup remedy as complete. NPL listing is a cleanup-authority designation, not a measured health-risk score.
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 Michigan environmental agency.
What is the cleanup status of this Superfund site?
Contaminants
| Contaminant | Media |
|---|---|
| ALUMINUM | Solid Waste |
| ANTIMONY | Solid Waste |
| ARSENIC | Solid Waste |
| BARIUM | Solid Waste |
| BENZO(B)FLUORANTHENE | Solid Waste |
| BENZO(K)FLUORANTHENE | Solid Waste |
| BERYLLIUM | Solid Waste |
| BIS(2-ETHYLHEXYL)PHTHALATE | Solid Waste |
| BUTYL BENZYL PHTHALATE | Solid Waste |
| CADMIUM | Solid Waste |
| CHROMIUM | Solid Waste |
| CHRYSENE | Solid Waste |
| COBALT | Solid Waste |
| COPPER | Solid Waste |
| DIETHYL PHTHALATE | Solid Waste |
| FLUORANTHENE | Solid Waste |
| LEAD | Solid Waste |
| MANGANESE | Solid Waste |
| MERCURY | Solid Waste |
| NICKEL | Solid Waste |
| PYRENE | Solid Waste |
| SILVER | Solid Waste |
| VANADIUM | Solid Waste |
Location
Other Superfund Sites in Michigan
| Site Name | Status | HRS Score |
|---|---|---|
| Adam's Plating | NPL Site | 29.64 |
| Aircraft Components (D & L Sales) | NPL Site | 0.00 |
| Albion-Sheridan Township Landfill | NPL Site | 33.79 |
| Allied Paper, Inc./Portage Creek/Kalamazoo River | NPL Site | 36.41 |
| American Anodco, Inc. | NPL Site | 57.99 |
| Anderson Development Co. | Deleted NPL Site | 31.02 |
| Auto Ion Chemicals, Inc. | NPL Site | 32.07 |
| Avenue "E" Ground Water Contamination | Deleted NPL Site | 31.19 |
| Barrels, Inc. | Deleted NPL Site | 42.24 |
| Bay City Middlegrounds | Proposed NPL Site | 50.00 |
How does this site's HRS score compare in Michigan?
Of the 89 Michigan Superfund sites with a scored Hazard Ranking System (HRS) evaluation, Torch Lake ranks #26 by score (46.72).
Either side of it: Tar Lake (48.55), Verona Well Field (46.86), Peerless Plating Co. (43.94), Petoskey Municipal Well Field (42.68)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Torch Lake Superfund site? ▼
What does NPL listing mean for Torch Lake? ▼
What is the HRS score for Torch Lake? ▼
What contaminants are at the Torch Lake site? ▼
What is the cleanup status of Torch Lake? ▼
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.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.