Solico, Inc./Southwest Vermiculite Company, 5119 Edith Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
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EPA
Region		 Location of facility Type of facility Amount
of ore
received
(in tons)		 Did
EPA
visit
the
site?		 Were
samples
taken?		 Results of
evaluation
6 5119 Edith Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico Active exfoliation facility 96.6 Yes-July 11, 2000 No According to an EPA database compiled from W.R.Grace shipping invoices, 96.6 tons of vermiculite ore from the Libby mine were shipped to this facility between February 1981 and September 1988. This site was located in an industrial park which was bordered by residential properties to the north. When EPA visited, Solico, Inc. was operating an active exfoliation plant at the site. The company manufactured a spray-on fireproofing product in addition to selling expanded vermiculite and perlite. The company had been in operation at this location since 1976. Before then, the company operated under the name Southwest Vermiculite Company and was located at 1822 First Street in Albuquerque. (This site is listed separately in this database.) At the time of EPA's visit, W.R. Grace was part owner of the Solico facility. The plant manager (who was also part owner of the plant and a former Grace employee) believed the company had purchased Libby ore until approximately 1986. At the time of EPA's visit, Solico obtained vermiculite from the W.R. Grace facility in Enoree, South Carolina, and from Virginia Vermiculite in Louisa, Virginia. (Both of these sites are listed separately in this database.) The ore was stored in open bays. EPA noted that the plant operations were very dusty. Since EPA did not see any vermiculite waste piles at the site during its visit, it did not collect samples. EPA determined no further action was needed at this site.

GAO-09-6R