Fansteel Metals/FMRI

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As EPA pursues its mission to protect human health and the environment, we actively coordinate with area tribes, communities, local partners, and state agencies across the United States to limit the risk of exposure to contaminants that might have a negative impact. At the Fansteel Metals/FMRI (Fansteel) Site in Muskogee, Oklahoma, EPA continues to work closely with the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) on removal actions and with area tribes to ensure the protection of items of cultural and historical significance. Through a time-critical removal action, we aim to identify and address potential risks, reducing the threats to human health and the environment posed by contamination at the Site.

Located at 10 Tantalum Place in Muskogee, Oklahoma, the Site lies next to the Arkansas River and includes multiple process buildings, waste storage ponds, and containers of stored waste. Zoned for industrial use, the property is fenced but remains accessible through its main entrance located on the western side of the property. In this area, the Arkansas River is a community resource, supporting recreational and cultural activities such as boating, fishing, swimming, and gathering materials for native medicines and pottery. A 35-acre portion of the property, known as the Northwest Property, has been released as clean by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), marking a key step in site management.

On October 1, 2024, EPA initiated its Removal Action, focusing on five identified areas as part of its ongoing effort to address site contamination. This action is a continuation of the 2018 removal activities aimed at mitigating environmental and health risks. The following list of Removal Action Items highlights the five identified areas:

1. Soil Stockpile: Repair and cover the existing cap on the soil stockpile that contains radionuclide contaminated soils.
2. Supersacks in Chem A and Chem C Buildings: Dispose of approximately 90 supersacks containing process wastes including radionuclides and ammonia.
3. Container and General Waste Disposal: Dispose of various wastes in the following locations: R&D Building Flammables Cabinet, Chem A, Chem C, and Bertha Building.
4. Pond Three: Route clean stormwater runoff around Pond 3 to lessen the burden on the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Note: The work planned for this Removal Action Item was canceled due to the presence of radionuclide containing soils found within the planned excavation path.
5. Ongoing Wastewater Treatment: Manage the existing WWTP until the EPA Region 6 Remedial Program takes over management.

• The liner was reinforced to serve as a physical barrier between material layers.
• On March 18, 2025, crews began placing a temporary soil cap on the existing stockpile.

The Site, owned and operated by Fansteel, Inc. from 1957 to 1989, produced tantalum and columbium metals from ores and tin slags (byproducts of ore smelting). Tantalum metal, primarily used in the electrical and electronics industries for producing tantalum capacitors, and columbium oxide, used for heat-resistant alloys, were central to its operations. Decades of processing rare earth elements resulted in contamination by heavy metals and radioactive materials, necessitating ongoing environmental oversight. Fansteel Metals, Inc., formerly known as FMRI, Inc., is the current NRC licensee and a wholly owned subsidiary of Fansteel, Inc., established in 2004 during Fansteel's bankruptcy settlement and reorganization to focus solely on decommissioning the Site.

Since 2018, EPA and state agencies have conducted assessments and removal actions to improve Site safety. Initial efforts included securing abandoned chemicals, followed by a 2019 Expanded Site Investigation (ESI) and gamma radiation survey, which identified areas of elevated radiation. Subsequent actions have involved soil and groundwater evaluations, community engagement in cleanup discussions, and the assessment of further removal measures. In September 2024, EPA added Fansteel to the National Priorities List (NPL), a designation for the nation’s most hazardous sites, which enabled funding for a Removal Action to address critical health and community concerns at the Site.

Wastewater continues to be managed under the provisions of the discharge permit issued by the State of Oklahoma. Under that permit, wastewater is collected from groundwater and surface water that has potentially contacted areas of the Site impacted by process wastes. The wastewater is treated in an on-site WWTP then is discharged to a series of four ponds. Normally, there is enough evaporation from the ponds to balance the input of wastewater. However, when weather conditions are less amenable to evaporation, discharge of the wastewater to the Arkansas River via the outfall noted in the permit may be required. During the permitted discharge, samples will be collected as described in the permit ( View the Fansteel Metals Inc. ODEQ Discharge Permit [PDF] ). Once the sample results are received and confirmed they will be posted here.

Use the “+” button at the bottom-right of the map to zoom in and the “−” button to zoom out. Zooming in will reveal detailed labels for the site features and improve label legibility.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) publishes fact sheets (also called “profiles”) with information about potential health effects from exposure to hazardous substances. The fact sheets offer answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) and steps people can take to protect themselves. Information on Fluoride, Ionizing Radiation, Thorium, Uranium, and Calcium Oxide the main substances found at the site, is provided below.