Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Superfund Settlement in Pennsylvania- Finally !

"The largest environmental damage settlement in Pennsylvania's history will pay for the restoration of vegetation, water, and the ecosystem in and around the Palmerton Superfund site. Many of the state and federal agencies involved in the settlement will recoup some of the cost of their cleanup and other efforts over the years.
Residents of Palmerton and the towns in Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe counties affected by the contamination, however, will not share the $21.4 million to be paid by five companies."

"CBS/Westinghouse of Pa. Inc., the current owner of the site, along with CBS Operations Inc.,TCI Pacific Communications Inc., HH Liquidating Corp. and HRD Liquidating Corp., the successor companies of the zinc smelting operators that polluted the region for decades, agreed to make a cash payment of $9.875 million.
The money will be used to help pay for the restoration of the region, which was declared a Superfund site in 1983 following decades of zinc smelting by the former New Jersey Zinc Co."

"The smelting, which emitted hazardous materials including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, manganese and zinc, contaminated nearby rivers and streams and destroyed acres of vegetation on neighboring Blue Mountain.A lawsuit brought by more than 100 Palmerton residents against the New Jersey Zinc Co. was settled in the 1990s."

To read more on this article go to
The Original Article

Posted a poriton of an article by Matt Birkbeck | OF THE MORNING CALL

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