The Palmerton Zinc Superfund Site 2.11

EPA Response In 1980 the U.S. finally addressed the issue of hazardous wastes Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) was enacted to address the most serious threats from hazardous waste and make polluters pay for cleaning up the sites that they contaminated ◦ Commonly called Superfund

The law gave the EPA authority to respond to any situation involving a release of hazardous substances into the environment Created Superfund Trust Fund financed by taxes on chemical and petroleum industries ◦ Funds are used by EPA to cleanup abandoned or uncontrolled hazardous substances that may threaten public health or environment

Anyone who contributed to the release is liable and may be sued by the EPA for the cost of the cleanup Potentially responsible parties (PRPs) include former and current owners, operators, and anyone who disposed of or produced waste found at the site In 1983 the EPA listed 2,000 acres in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, and a huge cinder bank near the NJZ East Plant (smelter) as a Superfund site ◦ Contains 30,000,000 tons of solid waste that was produced during the smelting of zinc ◦ Contaminated w/ zinc, copper, lead, and cadmium

The Palmerton Zinc Superfund Site is divided into 4 areas ◦ Mountain ◦ Cinder bank ◦ Valley ◦ Water

Area 1: Blue Mountain Mountain is covered w/ 4 million tons of toxic soil Without roots of plants to hold the soil in place there is massive erosion into the Delaware River Cleanup must: 1.Reduce erosion and runoff 2.Restore the forest ecosystem

Plan requires covering the north side of the mountain w/ a synthetic soil, which is a mixture of sewage sludge and fly ash ◦ Sludge – solid material that is removed from the wastewater at sewage treatment plants ◦ Fly ash – collection of particles captured by pollution control equipment at coal-burning power plants About 1,000 acres have been revegetated

Area 2: The Cinder Bank Cinder bank contains 30 million tons of smelter waste including zinc, copper, lead, and cadmium ◦ Leachable – soluble in water ◦ Runoff has carried heavy metals into a creek ◦ Rainwater has percolated through the material and contaminated a shallow aquifer Cleanup includes: 1.Trench around the pile so runoff is not contaminated 2.Covering w/ sewage sludge, fly ash, and grass 3.Precipitation treatment system

Area 3: The Valley EPA tested homes and found high levels of lead in the house dust and on porches Immediate goal was to reduce lead levels in homes w/ most vulnerable populations People accumulate metals through food chain and tap water ◦ Vegetables grown in Palmerton have high levels of cadmium ◦ Fish should be consumed no more than once per week

Area 4: The Water Shallow aquifer is contaminated As water percolates, heavy metals become attached to soil, so heavy metals will probably be removed from ground water before reaching the deep aquifer that is the town's water source