Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 3): Palmerton Zinc Pile, Pennsylvania (second remedial action), September 1988

Technical Report · Sun May 29 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:5859211

The Palmerton Zinc site is composed of two locations in the Borough of Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania. Smelting operations were conducted in the west plant from 1898 to 1987, and in the east plant from 1911 to present. Primary smelting of concentrated zinc sulfide ores, conducted until December 1980, resulted in the emission of large quantities of zinc, lead, cadmium, and sulfer dioxide. This air pollution caused defoliation of over 2,000 acres of vegetation in the vicinity of the east smelter. Between 1898 and 1987 process residue and other plant wastes were disposed of on Cinder Bank, a 2.5-mile, 2,000-acre waste pile. The selected remedial action for the site includes: slope modification, capping, and application of a vegetative cover on Cinder Bank; construction of surface water diversion channels; surface water and leachate collection and treatment using lime-activated filtration lagoons and/or constructed wetlands; implementation of an inspection, monitoring, and maintenance plan; and wetlands restoration measures, if necessary.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (USA). Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
• OSTI ID: 5859211
• Report Number(s): PB-89-204762/XAB; EPA/ROD/R-03-88/063
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
500600* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Regulations-- (-1989)
510600 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Regulations-- (-1989)
520600 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Regulations -- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
CADMIUM
DISPERSIONS
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
FEDERAL REGION III
GROUND WATER
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRY
LAND POLLUTION
LAWS
LEACHATES
LEAD
MANAGEMENT
MASS TRANSFER
MATERIALS
METAL INDUSTRY
METALS
MIXTURES
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PENNSYLVANIA
POLLUTION
POLLUTION LAWS
REMEDIAL ACTION
REVEGETATION
RUNOFF
SEDIMENTS
SMELTERS
SOLUTIONS
SUPERFUND
USA
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER
WATER POLLUTION
ZINC