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EPA Outlines Phased Groundwater Testing in Palmerton

Release Date: 1/12/1999
Contact Information: David Polish (215) 814-3327

PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Regional Deputy Administrator Thomas C. Voltaggio today announced that the agency plans to use the least invasive testing methods possible to determine the extent of the groundwater contamination in Palmerton, Pa. The Palmerton site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities List of most contaminated sites in 1983 due to contamination from old zinc smelters.

EPA is providing the following information to clarify any confusion that may exist in the community regarding the groundwater testing.

The EPA already has determined that Palmerton’s shallow, upper groundwater aquifer is contaminated. The agency now wants to measure how the contamination plume of lead, zinc and cadmium is behaving -- whether it is spreading to uncontaminated water, and whether it is growing or shrinking. If the agency finds widespread contamination that would threaten human health and the environment, the agency would order a cleanup plan.

The EPA has begun its study by sampling existing wells, which monitor the condition of water about 50 feet beneath Palmerton. Samples from 15 wells were collected in December. The analysis of this data should be completed within the next several weeks.

In consultation with Palmerton’s Joint Groundwater Steering Committee, the EPA will then decide whether it is necessary to drill shallow wells into the upper aquifer. For this potential second phase of the study, these additional monitoring wells would be drilled only if the information from the existing wells shows that metals are traveling through the groundwater. The new well data would be collected and analyzed, and the results would be shared with the Groundwater Steering Committee, before any additional steps would be taken.

The EPA would then determine if a third phase of the study would be required. Only if data collected from the upper aquifer show widespread contamination would deeper monitoring wells be drilled into the lower aquifer. These deeper monitoring wells would search for contamination in the lower aquifer.

"We will drill deep wells only if there is a threat to human health and the environment. These pollutants in a water supply can cause serious illness. We owe it to the community to make a comprehensive assessment of any threat," said Voltaggio.

Voltaggio also emphasized that modern well-drilling techniques eliminate any risk of spreading contamination through new wells.

"We have drilled thousands of monitoring wells at Superfund sites, and they have never caused the contamination to spread. We know the contamination is in groundwater and we fear it is spreading. The way to be absolutely sure is to take a look. This is a tried and true technique to diagnose the problem and determine the best cleanup method," Voltaggio explained.

Voltaggio stressed that the study was designed in three phases so it will advance only if a problem is detected. He also reiterated the EPA’s commitment to consult with Palmerton’s Joint Groundwater Steering Committee regularly during the study and seek the committee’s input.


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