Stop Pennsylvania From Weakening Cleanup Standards for Lead in Nonresidential Soil

Lead is a highly toxic chemical that harms the central nervous system. Lead pollution is prevalent in many areas throughout Pennsylvania, due in part to the legacy of industrial facilities, the burning of leaded gasoline, and the use of lead paint.

Click here to view Clean Air Council’s fact sheet on this issue.

At the request of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (the Department), the Environmental Quality Board (EQB) has proposed a revision to allow for higher concentrations of lead in surface soil (soil that is 0-2 feet under the ground) at nonresidential properties, including those used for industrial and commercial purposes. Pennsylvania requires property owners undertaking a cleanup of contaminated property to meet these public health standards for allowable concentrations of harmful contaminants like lead.

The Department is proposing to increase the concentration of lead allowed in nonresidential surface soil after a cleanup from 1,000 ppm to 2,500 ppm — an increase of two-and-a-half times.

This proposal is not based on current science because the cleanup level is not protective of a fetus of a pregnant worker at the site. The concentration of lead allowed in the blood of a fetus is an important factor in determining the acceptable concentration of lead in soil. The Department’s incorrect target blood concentration is one-half the reference value that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses to address lead in children. This would not be protective of public health.

The draft letter to the Department also addresses the Department’s claim that the proposed cleanup level does not matter. The Department’s incorrect approach in calculating the proposed cleanup level will be followed by property owners selecting a standard specific to the site, which they would be allowed to select under the law. This happened at the Philadelphia oil refinery in 2015, when the Department approved a high standard of 2,240 ppm. Tell the Department that Pennsylvania residents deserve protective cleanup standards that reflect the latest science.

Comments are due April 30th.

For more information on how to oppose this proposed action, feel free to contact Christopher Ahlers at (215) 567-4004, ext. 125.