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ECOLOGICAL REVITALIZATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES CASE STUDY
This case study
is part of a series
focused on ecological
revitalization as part
of contaminated site
remediation and reuse;
these case studies are
being compiled by the
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
(EPA) Technology
Innovation and Field
Services Division
(TIFSD). The
purpose of these
case studies is to
provide site managers
with ecological
reuse information,
including principles
for implementation,
recommendations
based on personal
experiences, a specific
point of contact, and a
network of sites with
an ecological reuse
component.
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Land Once Barren from Nearby Smelter
Becomes Native Prairie
This is the story of the Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund Site, where
a decades-long cleanup continues to include ever-evolving
revitalization techniques turning thousands of acres of barren
wasteland into thriving native prairie. Zinc smelting operations
initiated in the late 1800s distributed heavy metals throughout
the surrounding soil at concentrations that resulted in ecosystem
collapse and prevented plant growth across a 3,000-acre area. With
no plants to keep the soil in place, erosion of contaminated soil
impacted the nearby Lehigh River and Aquashicola Creek. To
stabilize the contaminated soil, the site was revegetated using a
variety of ecological revitalization techniques. After a risk analysis
was completed to make sure
the site was safe for passive
recreational visitors, a 450-acre
portion of the site is now filled
with warm-season grasses and
is the home of the Lehigh Gap
Nature Center, where both
wildlife and the public are able to
enjoy the lush open space.
At the start of cleanup activities,
the revitalization crews used
a spreader truck to apply a
specialized soil amendment
mixture including, sewage
sludge, fly ash, lime and fertilizer
with grass and tree seed to
revegetate the area. The use of
the spreader truck required more
Ecological Revitalization = the process of returning
land from a contaminated state to one that supports
functioning and sustainable habitat.
Topics Highlighted in
this Case Study:
/ Attractive Nuisance
•	Bioavailability
/ Erosion
/ Invasive Species
•	Predator Control
/ Recreation
/ Soil Amendments
/ Use of Native Plants
•	Use of Volunteers
/ Water Management
•	Wildlife Habitat
•	Freshwater Wetland
/ Prairie
•	Saltwater Wetland
•	Savannah
/ Stream
•	Woodland
February 2011, EPA542-F-11-005
www.cluin.org! eco tools

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ECOLOGICAL REVITALIZATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES CASE STUDY
Carbon County
Palmerton
Cinderbank
East Plant Smelter
•'M
Area of Operable Units: 8.96 Square Miles
Population within Buffer: 9940
C ^ Operable Unit Boundary
One Mile Buffer
West Plant Smelter
Blue Mountain j
i i j	1
County Boundary
N orth am pton.Co'Unjy
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Data Sources:
US Census Bureau: County Boundary
US EPA: Operable Unit Boundary
One Mile Buffer
US Geological Survey: Quadrangle
• > / - ' ¦;"* —.*			L.—' '¦
LehighCounty
EPA R3 GIS Team Gen1925 Bob Walker 01/16/2007 Map32'9T
Palmerton Zinc Superfund Site, Palmerton, PA
than 60 miles of switchback roads be built up
the mountain. As the cleanup progressed,
this amendment mixture was replaced with
a mushroom compost mixture. In addition,
because of (1) the failure of the tree seeds to
successfully germinate and (2) an increased
knowledge of the importance of using native
plants for revitalization (especially the use of
warm-season grasses at contaminated sites),
the crews replaced sod grass and tree seed
with a specialized native warm-season grass
seed mix. Additionally, to prevent the need
to create access roads, the spreader truck was
replaced on slopes less than 25 percent by an
agricultural tractor modified with tank tracks
and a spreader box. On steeper slopes, a
crop duster plane was used to apply the seed
mixture. Willingness to adapt the strategy and
incorporate these state-of-the-art ecological
revitalization techniques has led to hundreds
of acres of diverse, native prairie.
Background
•	The over two thousand-acre site is located
in the Lehigh Gap area in Palmerton,
Pennsylvania near the Lehigh River and
Aquashicola Creek. The surrounding area
is rural and consists of a series of deep,
narrow valleys.
•	The site consists of two former primary
zinc smelters - west smelter operations
began in 1898 and east smelter operations
began in 1911. The smelters operated until
December 1980.
•	Previous smelting activities at the site
emitted large quantities of zinc, lead,
cadmium, and sulfur dioxide, defoliating
more than 2,000-acres near the east smelter
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Palmerton Zinc Pile, Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Superfund Case Study

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ECOLOGICAL REVITALIZATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES CASE STUDY
Make Sure You Know What's In
Your Soil Amendment
The sludge and ash used in a soil
amendment can contain small amounts
of heavy metals. Therefore, maximum
concentrations of metals and other
constituents in the sludge and ash
used in the soil amendment were (1)
based on Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Protection (PADEP)
maximum allowable concentrations in
sludge and cumulative metal loading rates
and (2) adjusted down to help ensure that
no combination of sludge and ash meeting
the specified limits would exceed the
PADEP lifetime metals loading limits.
v	J
on the adjacent Blue Mountain. Process
residue and other plant wastes were
disposed of in a cinder bank, which is a 2.5-
mile, 255-acre waste pile located behind the
east smelter at the base of Blue Mountain.
The cinder bank contains approximately
33 million tons of material containing
leachable metals, including: lead, zinc, and
cadmium. Additional defoliation has also
occurred along Stoney Ridge.
•	The surface soil, shallow groundwater, and
stream sediments are contaminated with
heavy metals from site operations. Elevated
levels of zinc and cadmium in the soil are
responsible for the vegetation damage; this
damage increases the potential for erosion
of the contaminated soil, contributing to
surface and groundwater contamination.
•	Revegetation was the main treatment
technology selected on Blue Mountain to
address the heavy metal contamination.
Remedial activities for the cinder bank
included capping and revegetation in
addition to a system to divert surface water
and treat leachate. A final cleanup plan for
groundwater/surface water contamination
and ecological risks will be issued in
2012. In 1991, the responsible parties
began applying biosolids to accelerate
revegetation of the area. Through mid-
2006, almost 1,300 acres of Blue Mountain,
220 acres of the cinder bank, and 40 acres
of Stoney Ridge have been revegetated. In
2008, an additional 700 acres of state and
federally owned land on Blue Mountain
was revegetated via aerial application. The
plan is to revegetate the remaining acres
in 2011 and 2012. Soil amendments used
included mushroom compost or municipal
sewage sludge, power plant fly ash and/or
bottom ash, and/or agricultural limestone
and seed mixtures. Revegetation has
stabilized the treated area, reduced soil
erosion, and improved water quality (i.e.
decreased soluble metals contaminant
concentration) associated with runoff from
the site.
Ecological Revitalization
The sheer size of the Palmerton site resulted
in a lengthy cleanup process. Initially, surface
water was diverted around the cinder bank,
and a treatment system for the leachate
was installed. The longer term remedy for
both the cinder bank and denuded areas of
Blue Mountain included revegetation. The
remedy used techniques that evolved over
time and considered up-to-date knowledge
regarding successful revitalization techniques.
Originally, the Record of Decision required
revegetation to prevent continued erosion into
Soil amendments applied using a spreader truck
Palmerton Zinc Pile, Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Superfund Case Study
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ECOLOGICAL R E VITA LIZATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES CASE STUDY
Use of Warm Season Grasses
on Mine Sites
In the Mid-Atlantic region, native warm
season grasses, such as gamagrass
('Tripsacum spp.) and deertongue
(.Dichanthelium clandestinum), have proven
to be effective at establishing cover to
stabilize highly degraded and acidic mine-
land soil and were successfully used at the
Palmerton site. When using warm season
grass seed, it is important to consider the
longer establishment period, relatively
high seed cost, and short seeding window
of warm season grasses. However, the
benefits of using native warm season
grasses can far outweigh the costs
associated with these considerations. For
additional information on warm season
grasses, visit these websites:
http://www.plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/
pubs/mdpmctn8100.pdf
ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NJ/programs/pmc/
NativeGrassesforCriticalAreaStabilization.pdf
the Lehigh River. In the early 1990s, a cutting
edge idea to use a mixture of sewage sludge,
power plant fly ash and/or bottom ash, and
agricultural limestone was incorporated into
the plan. So, for initial revegetation activities at
Blue Mountain and the cinder bank these soil
amendments were mixed with specialized sod
grass and tree seed mixes before application.
Full-scale implementation of the revegetation
began in 1991. Between 1991 and 1998,
approximately 850 acres were re vegetated
using a spreader truck. The ratio of sludge to
ash was 2:1 by volume. The amendment was
applied at a rate of approximately 60 dry tons
of sludge per acre.
Initial revegetation activities were successful,
but as time went on, the specific soil
amendment mix developed a negative public
perception because it included the use of
municipal sewage sludge. Contractors at
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Mushroom compost, fertilizer, lime, and seed mix
applied using a tractor/spreader
the Palmerton site continued revegetation
activities, but after testing alternatives,
replaced the use of sewage sludge in the soil
amendment with mushroom compost. In
2005, approximately 40 acres along Stoney
Ridge were revegetated using a mixture of
mushroom compost, lime, and fertilizer.
While continuing the revegetation activities,
contractors addressed additional challenges
using creative methods. Initially, land owned
by the responsible parties was revegetated
using a spreader truck which required over
60 miles of roads to be constructed. For
privately-owned land, a modified agricultural
tractor and spreader were used to apply
the soil amendment and seed mixture. On
*4
Soil amendment and seed mixture
applied using a plane
Palmerton Zinc Pile, Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Superfund Case Study

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ECOLOGICAL REVITALIZATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES CASE STUDY
steep slopes, the seed mixture was applied
using a fixed wing crop-duster. This method
eliminated the need to build switchback roads
throughout the area for truck access to apply
the amendments, which saved a considerable
amount of money and gave the land a more
nature! I appearance.
The seed mixture included (1) grasses that
establish themselves quickly (2) perennial
grasses for long-term erosion control, (3) trees,
and (4) birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus),
a nitrogen-fixing legume to maintain the soil
long-term without the need of fertilizers.
At Blue Mountain, grass cover was highly
successful. However, tree seeds were not
as successful because of fungal disease,
competition with plants, and foraging animals.
In addition, limited sampling showed that trees
may have been taking up contaminants. The
idea of using native species for revegetation
had evolved further at this point in the
revitalization activities, and additional test
plots were planted in 1995 and 1999. Based on
the test plot results, changes were made to the
seed mixture and planting plan, including:
•	Self-sustaining meadowland (native warm
season grasses) seed mixture was used with
plants that have minimal metal uptake.
•	Indicator plant species for metals were
sampled and analyzed to determine if any
uptake was occurring.
• Volunteer tree species with high metals
uptake, like birch and poplar, were
evaluated, as necessary.
Measures to Improve Chances
of Success
Other erosion control activities conducted in
the Stoney Ridge area include installation of
rock/stone check dams, diversion berms, and
sedimentation basins along with revegetation
in and around erosion channels. These efforts
were undertaken to eliminate the deposition of
sediment onto local roadways and residential
properties during major storm events. Since
these actions were completed, this previously
common occurrence has not been noted.
During revegetation and cleanup of the cinder
bank, the responsible parties built a system to
divert surface water around the cinder bank
and are treating contaminated leachate before
it is discharged to the nearby Aquashicola
Creek. These clean-up efforts have reduced
the overall metals loading to the creek by more
than 60 percent.
Palmerton Today and Moving
Forward
The native warm season grasses have become
successfully established and have become a
thriving prairie habitat for wildlife in the area.
Specifically, for over 10 years, the 850 acres
reclaimed on Blue Mountain have maintained
Blue Mountain revitalization in (left) October 2002 and (right) August 2003
Palmerton Zinc Pile, Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Superfund Case Study
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ECOLOGICAL R E VITA LIZATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES CASE STUDY
Blue Mountain revitalization in (left) September 2004 and (right) August 2006
more than 70 percent vegetative cover with
increasing emergence of volunteer tree species.
The Lehigh Gap Nature Center was built on a
750-acre parcel that is open to the public daily,
450 acres of which is successfully remediated
land on Blue Mountain. The land inclu des
walking trails as well as bike trails, linking
(1) the Delaware and Lehigh Rails to Trails
systems, (2) the Philadelphia and Scran ton trail
systems, and (3) the Appalachian Trail on the
property. The nature center and trail systems
on the property allow the public to enjoy and
learn about nature and local wildlife.
The nature center also helps to ensure
that much of the land will continue to be
maintained. Environmental easements are
in place for the land that is managed by the
nature center and land owned by the Game
Commission and Park Service. The agencies
have partnered with the responsible parties to
ensure the portion of land revegetated using
soil amendments will also be maintained.
Because some level of soil contamination has
remained in place, EPA has worked with the
responsible parties to implement institutional
controls. Most recently, EPA is working to
make sure institutional controls for the last
remaining private parcels are implemented.
Cost
Traditional cleanup techniques, which
included removal of contaminated soil and
associated smelting residue from the over
2,000-acre site, was initially estimated to cost
more than $4 billion and take up to 45 years to
complete. While total costs for all revegetation
activities are not available, the responsible
parties estimate that it cost approximately $9
million to reclaim the initial 850 acres of Blue
Mountain. Risk assessments and extensive
testing was required to ensure that this
approach would be protective as well as cost
effective. A significant portion of the initial
cost for revegetation of the first 850 acres was
associated with construction of over 60 miles of
switchback roads for truck access. Subsequent
revegetation activities (the remaining portion
of Blue Mountain, the cinder bank, and Stoney
Ridge) used planes and did not require roads
construction; therefore, the anticipated cost per
acre is expected to be lower than for the initial
850 acres.
The Lehigh Gap Nature Center
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Palmerton Zinc Pile, Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Superfund Case Study

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ECOLOGICAL REVITALIZATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES CASE STUDY
Stakeholders Involvement
•	EPA - Palmerton Zinc Pile is a
Superfund site, so EPA plays an
active role in providing regulatory
and technical oversight to support
Comprehensive Environmental
Response Control and Liability Act
(CERCLA) activities at the site.
•	U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS) - As part of the Biological
and Technical Assessment Group
(BTAG) for the region, USFWS provides
technical guidance for remediation and
revitalization activities.
•	National Park Service (NPS) - The
Appalachian Trail, which runs through
the site on Blue Mountain, is owned/
managed by the NPS. EPA continues
to work cooperatively with NPS to
remediate this portion of Blue Mountain.
•	State of Pennsylvania - The State
of Pennsylvania through the Game
Commission owns some of the land on
Blue Mountain that was revegetated.
EPA coordinated with the state to
remediate this portion of Blue Mountain.
•	Pennsylvania Game Commission and
Forestry Service - Provided technical
guidance for attempted tree restoration
and is an affected landowner.
•	U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) - Acted as a consultant for the
nature center and provided technical
guidance on the use of warm-season
grasses for the revitalization activities.
Lessons Learned
1. Be willing to modify the planned habitat,
if necessary: Establishing forestland at the
site was extremely challenging and was
ultimately abandoned in favor of prairie.
Various challenges were encountered
during forestland development efforts,
including small mammals eating tree
seedlings. Extensive efforts to establish
trees on the site include the following:
(1) all grass was cut in a 3.3 ft. area with
a weed-whacker prior to putting tree
seedlings into the ground to minimize
competition from grass; (2) seedlings were
inoculated with a microrhizium developed
for contaminated soils prior to planting; (3)
a plastic protective tube was placed around
each seedling to protect from animal
grazing, (4) animal repellant and an iron
chelate were applied to seedlings; and (4)
insect control was used, as needed. When
these efforts were ineffective, additional
measures included a ground weed control
mat (3 by 3 foot) and a netting type of
seedling protector. A cost comparison
estimated prairie establishment at $1,125/
acre versus $6,125/acre for forestland.
2.	Consider potential attractive nuisance
issues: Due to metals uptake, the types
of grass seeds were replaced with those
having minimal metals uptake.
3.	Take into account community concerns:
As a result of negative public perception,
the sewage sludge soil amendment was
replaced with mushroom compost.
4.	Don't discount creative alternatives:
Application methods were modified from
land application to aerial application. This
less intrusive method eliminated the need
for road construction, which significantly
decreased costs and resulted in a more
natural habitat.
5.	Consider ongoing invasive species
management control: The invasive plant
species, butterfly bush, had established
itself before the revegetation project and
has widely spread since. Every year,
efforts are made to control its spread, with
some success. Tree of Heaven, an invasive
tree species, was present in the highway
corridor that runs through the gap and
has been difficult to control. A major
component of ongoing maintenance will be
invasive species management.
Palmerton Zinc Pile, Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Superfund Case Study
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ECOLOGICAL REVITALIZATION OF CONTAMINATED SITES CASE STUDY
/• \
Additional Information
Websites to obtain additional information on the Palmerton Zinc Pile site and ecological
revitalization include the following:
EPA Abandoned Mine Lands Innovative Technology Case Study
http://www.epa.gov/aml/tech/palmerton.pdf
EPA's Eco Tools Website
http://www.clu-in.org/ecotools/
Ecological Revitalization: Turning Contaminated Properties Into Community Assets
http://www.clu-in.org/download/issues/ecotools/Ecological_Revitalization_Turning_
Contaminated_Properties_into_Community_Assets.pdf
Frequently Asked Questions About Ecological Revitalization of Superfund Sites
http://www.clu-in.org/download/remed/542f06002.pdf
Revegetating Landfills and Waste Containment Areas Fact Sheet
http://www.clu-in.org/download/remed/revegetating_fact_sheet.pdf
Ecological Revitalization and Attractive Nuisance Issues
http://www.epa.gov/tio/download/remed/542f06003.pdf
For additional information on the Palmerton Zinc Pile site,
you can also contact the EPA project manager:
Charlie Root, RPM
(215) 814-3193
root, char lie@epa. gov
If you have any questions or comments on this fact sheet,
please contact:
Michele Mahoney, EPA
mahoney.michele@epa.gov
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Palmerton Zinc Pile, Palmerton, Carbon County, Pennsylvania, Superfund Case Study

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