RETURN TO USE INITIATIVE 2011 Demonstration Project PALMERTON ZINC PILE SITE Palmerton, Pennsylvania THE SITE; The Palmerton Zinc Pile Superfund site (the Site) occupies several thousand acres of land about 15 miles north of Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Site encompasses the Borough of Palmerton and surrounding areas, including Blue Mountain, a large smelting residue pile called The Cinder Bank and much of the Palmerton valley. The Site is the location of two former zinc smelting facilities, which were active for over 80 years. A cinder bank was created from deposition of 33 million tons of slag at the site, covering an area more than 2.5 miles long. The smelting operations also emitted large quantities of heavy metals throughout the valley, resulting in destruction of approximately 3,000 acres of the formerly forested mountainside of Blue Mountain. The Site was added to the NPL in 1983 because of contamination with lead, cadmium and zinc in the area. PICTURED: Before remediation activities, the deforested mountainside, (source: EPA) BARRIERS: Revegetating the barren mountainside was challenging because of its vastness and steep slopes SOLUTION: Persistence and teamwork among stakeholders resulted in finding the right seed mixture and application method, resulting in successful revegetation THE OPPORTUNITY: At the same time that EPA was considering remedial alternatives for the Site, the Board of a non-profit conservation organization, the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, was actively searching for a parcel of land to purchase for development of an environmental recreation center. The Lehigh Gap Nature Center Board saw this Superfund property as an opportunity not only for environmental recreation, but for education about natural systems, remediation and ecological revitalization as well. The Board purchased over 750 acres on the Kittatinny Ridge to the west of the Lehigh River and in Lehigh Gap, knowing that half of their acquisition was contaminated with lead, cadmium, zinc and other metals and included a portion of the side of Blue Mountain where vegetation had been completely killed by smelting operations. PO EN IAL BARRIER: Vegetation on Blue Mountain had been killed by air and soil contamination resulting from the historic mining operations, leaving the mountainside a barren moonscape. EPA selected a remedy for the Site including revegetation, which would stabilize site soils and minimize erosion. Initial efforts PICTURED: A lush mountainside with tree saplings beginning to establish in the stabilized soil, (source: EPA) BEFORE: A contaminated barren moonscape of a mountainside void of any plants and animals AFTER: A revegetated mountainside, home to a functioning ecosystem of plants and animals, hiking trails and a nature center using the land to preserve wildlife and habitat through conservation, education and research United States Environmental Protection Superfund Redevelopment Initiative 1—J jr % Agency kAgency December 2011 1 ------- at revegetation required extensive infrastructure, including development of over 60 miles of roadway to support vehicles distributing a specialized seed and soil amendment mixture over the Site. While these efforts were successful, they were resource intensive and the development of roadways sliced the contiguous landscape, limiting the acreage of land available to support the plant and animal life stakeholders wanted to attract back to the area. Efforts were also made to spread the seeds and soil amendments using tractor spreaders, but the rocky landscape presented difficulties, including punctured tires, that made this application method untenable for the larger, steeper portions of the Site. THE SOLUTION After discussions with the Site's potentially responsible party (PRP), the Lehigh Gap Nature Center and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP), EPA approved a preliminary design to revegetate a portion of the mountainside utilizing aerial applications of soil amendments and native seeds from a specially-equipped crop-duster type airplane. After two rounds of pilot tests and multiple adjustments to the revegetation mixture, a successful formula for seed application and establishment of a grassland was achieved. Additional applications of native warm season grass seeds resulted in a vegetative cover over the mounstainside and eventually, native tree species seeds were also incorporated into the blend. HE SI E NOW: Today, Blue Mountain is covered with native warm season grasses and tree saplings are beginning to establish in the stabilized soil. The Site is now home to the Lehigh Gap Nature Center refuge which occupies a 2.5 square-mile space on the Kittatinny Ridge. The refuge provides valuable habitat for resident wildlife and migratory species, especially raptors and Neotropical songbirds. A new visitor and education center on the Site opened to the public in July 2010 and includes a lobby, information station, a research library, classroom/laboratory and restrooms. The revegetation efforts at Paimerton Zinc have provided a habitat for grassland-dependent species, such as certain butterflies and small mammals, while at the same time stabilizing soils, minimizing erosion and improving water quality. Lehigh Gap Nature Center staff and volunteers also conduct environmental research in conjunction with local colleges and universities. Trails on the refuge connect to the Appalachian Trail, allowing local and through hikers an opportunity to enjoy the revitalized Blue Mountain area. Visitors Welcome D'wn to Dusk PICTURED: A sign welcomes visitors to the Lehigh Gap Nature Center, (source: www.examiner.com) PICTURED: The Lehigh Gap Nature Center's visitor and education building opened to the public in July 2010. (source: www.Ignc) FOR MORE INFORMA ION, PLEASECON AC Charlie Root, Remedial Project Manager, at: (215) 814-3193 or root.charlie@epa.aov: or Chris Thomas, Region 3 Superfund Redevelopment Coordinator, at (215) 814-5555 or thomas.christopher@epa.aov. SEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Redevelopment Initiative December 2011 2 ------- |