A report released in September from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry indicated air lead levels near the American Zinc Recycling facility in Palmerton could result in health problems for young children and pregnant women.

In 2017, the United States Environmental Protection Agency requested ATSDR conduct a public health evaluation of the community’s current exposures to lead in the air near the plant, formerly Horsehead, on the east side of town.

“Based on our preliminary spatial analysis of EPA’s air modeling results and available state monitoring data, ATSDR concludes that a public health hazard is likely for young children and/or pregnant women living within 3 miles of the American Zinc Recycling facility,” Dr. Karl Markiewicz, senior toxicologist, wrote in a report released July 31. “Young children and/or pregnant women could experience long-term health problems from exposure to lead in the outdoor air.”

Additional lead testing

Highlighting Markiewicz’s recommendations following the report are avoiding additional exposure to lead, and getting children tested annually. He also suggested using wet cleaning methods in the home and disposing of cleaning cloths after use, using HEPA filters for air conditioning, having children wash hands before eating if they have been playing outside and getting children plenty of calcium if they have high lead levels in the blood.

“Pregnant women may have a higher risk for miscarriage,” the report continued. “The unborn baby may have a higher risk for premature birth, low birth weight, learning and behavior problems, and damage to their developing brains.”

A town hall meeting followed in October, when one parent said she lives across the street from the plant and her children have elevated levels of lead.

Another parent questioned whether people who have lived in the borough a long time should get bone testing done in addition to blood testing, because it would show the cumulative amount of lead in their bodies.

DEP officials said the air lead levels would have been acceptable until 10 years ago, when the bench mark was lowered by a factor of 10.

It also sent notices of violation to American Zinc Recycling multiple times this year, but it is currently working with the company on correcting the issues.

Northface

DEP officials also targeted the company behind a reclamation project in Palmerton, saying it accepted fill without proper authorization and lacked proper sampling of the material it is bringing to the site along Route 248.

DEP identified 37 deficient submittals where Phase III Environmental “failed to adequately sample regulated fill before placement at the Northface Business Park site, received fill before the 10 working-day DEP review period, and/or received fill without DEP approval.”

Phase III has submitted a permit renewal application to continue using regulated fill as a construction material at the former New Jersey Zinc Company West Plant.

A Dec. 3 letter from Rachel Miller, DEP environmental protection compliance specialist, to Bruce Lack, Phase III president and general manager, states Phase III is “in violation of the Solid Waste Management Act.”

“You are hereby notified of both the existence of violations and the need to provide prompt correction,” Miller wrote to Lack. “The violations noted within may result in enforcement action under the Solid Waste Management Act.”

Palmerton Borough officials have listed concerns with the project this year.

The borough sent a letter to DEP earlier this year asking the agency not to renew Phase III’s permit until certain issues were addressed.

“We basically outlined what we’ve been seeing through the initial permit period,” borough Manager Rodger Danielson said of the letter.

“It’s nice to have the site cleaned up. There’s no doubt about that. But it can’t come at the expense of taxpayers if the roads are all beat up and there are other costs on the part of the borough because of things that are happening.”

The borough cited several concerns including damage to roads from trucks that are often overweight, and buried water pipes with difficult accessibility.

Trucks hauling in fill, mostly from New York and New Jersey, access the site from Mauch Chunk Road.

“That road has been heavily damaged as you head west out of town,” Danielson said. “It has probably sunk between 3 and 5 inches at some parts.”

Carbon County Commissioners also spoke out against the project.

“That has become a dumping ground for New York waste,” Commissioner William O’Gurek said, adding that state laws regarding the permitted amount of contaminants in regulated fill are too lenient, which is one of the problems. If I was living down at that end of town, I would be really concerned.”