Sewage Sludge: A Tale of Two Hillsides

The Borough of Palmerton has a proud place in our nation's history. In the 1900's, the New Jersey Zinc Company dominated the local economy and was pivotal in U.S. efforts to win two World Wars. Decades later, we are faced with the residual effects of unregulated zinc smelting and the abandoned plant on the municipal water supply. Recently, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a public meeting to address the toxins left behind after the borough followed the EPA's guidance to remediate the Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund site. In 2024, the EPA declared the Palmerton Municipal Water Supply unsafe for drinking due to high levels of PFAS/PFOS (forever chemicals). The forever chemicals were left behind on the hillsides above the municipal wells after the EPA-recommended Ecoloam (a mixture of Sewage Sludge, fly ash, potash, and limestone) was spread on the soil in the 1990's and early 2000's. Since the EPA announced concerns about the safety of the drinking water, residents have had to fend for themselves by purchasing water or water filters to ensure safe drinking and cooking. In January, the EPA hosted a public meeting to share their plan to install a temporary water treatment system that will help Palmerton residents. The public meeting was well attended, and you can read more here.

Across the Lehigh River, a different story unfolded. Rather than use the EPA-recommended Ecoloam to remediate damage from 80 years of zinc smelting, the Lehigh Gap Nature Center (LGNC) took a novel approach by revegetating the hillside with native prairie grasses. This effort has successfully restored ecological function and beauty to a once-barren ‘moonscape.’ In 2010, a new visitor and education center opened at the site. The center includes a lobby, research library and classroom/laboratory space. In 2014, EPA Region 3 awarded the LGNC with an “Excellence in Site Reuse” award. The award highlights the organization’s efforts to reuse a large portion of the site as a wildlife preserve that promotes ecological conservation and education.

Photo credit to Sarina Berlow.