EPA Hosts Public Meeting on Superfund Site Cleanup in Palmerton
PALMERTON, Pa. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Mid-Atlantic Region held a public meeting on Tuesday evening to update the Palmerton community on the ongoing cleanup efforts at the Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund site and the local public water system.
The meeting took place at the Aquashicola Volunteer Fire Company and provided residents with an open forum to discuss the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the area and the steps being taken to address the issue. More than 150 community members attended the discussion and asked questions throughout the meeting, which included a panel of representatives from EPA, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry (ATSDR), and the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH).
"EPA is committed to protecting the health and well-being of the Palmerton community," said Amy Van Blarcom-Lackey, EPA Region 3 Administrator. "We are working diligently with our state and local partners to implement solutions that will provide long-term access to clean, safe drinking water for all residents."
Palmerton was home to zinc smelting operations from 1898 to 1981. These activities resulted in significant heavy metal contamination, leading to the site's inclusion on the National Priorities List(NPL) in 1983. For more than 40 years, EPA has worked with the Palmerton community to clean up legacy zinc smelting operations. These efforts have included protecting human health from lead, cadmium, zinc, and arsenic that had been building up in the soil from almost 100 years of mining. In 2024, EPA designated multiple PFAS compounds, including perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), as hazardous substances posing potential risk to public health and the environment.
In May 2024, EPA was made aware by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) of the presence of PFOS and PFOA above the federal maximum contaminant level (MCL) in Palmerton Municipal Authority’s (PMA’s) drinking water supply. EPA immediately began working with the water system to determine where the PFAS was coming from and how the agency could help address the contamination. As part of these efforts, EPA tested soil, groundwater, and surface water on the Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund site and found elevated levels of PFAS that are likely contributing to the drinking water issues and is working to investigate any additional sources.
While the agency’s investigation continues, EPA is installing a temporary water treatment system to ensure the community can continue to have access to safe drinking water. The agency is also taking steps to develop the best strategy for long-term access to safe drinking water for Palmerton residents.
The agency is continuing to work closely with Palmerton Borough, Palmerton Municipal Authority, and PA DEP to establish additional response actions to provide a permanent cleanup solution in support of protecting human health and the environment.
For more information on the Palmerton Zinc Pile site—including site history, cleanup activity, and status updates—visit the EPA’s site profile page. To learn more about EPA activity throughout the Mid-Atlantic, visit our regional website or follow us on Instagram, X, and Facebook.