EPA Superfund site
PALMERTON ZINC PILE
Human exposure is NOT currently under control
Data limitations: Proximity to a Superfund site boundary does not mean your property is contaminated. EPA site boundaries show the area designated for cleanup, not the full extent of contamination. Groundwater plumes can extend beyond site boundaries. This tool shows publicly available EPA federal data. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by EPA, and is not a substitute for a professional environmental assessment.
About this site's exposure pathways
As of April 2025, the Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund site is considered “Current Human Exposure Not Under Control” (HENC). Exposure through lead being present in residential soils at unacceptable levels warrants this change to HENC. This exposure pathway is considered unacceptable because lead is known to be present in some residential soils in exceedance of the soil screening levels of the "Updated Residential Soil Lead Guidance for CERCLA Sites and RCRA Corrective Action Facilities" released on January 17, 2024, and further evaluation is warranted.
Currently, the planned activities to address this pathway are to remediate residential properties to ensure concentration of lead in soil meet cleanup goals. It is anticipated that human exposure will be under control by September 2026 because all necessary remedial action work to remediate residential soil will have been performed. Outreach for the Palmerton community to educate on risk due to lead in the soil has been conducted.
EPA is in the process of making a determination that the Site should not be considered "protective" due to the January 17, 2024 " Updated Residential Soil Lead Guidance for CERCLA and RCRA Corrective Actions Facilities" policy. Once the "protectiveness" determination has been changed to "not protective" the 2003 Consent Decree will need to be re-opened for any additional remedial action.