The Strasburg Landfill operated from 1978 to 1984 in Newlin Township, Pennsylvania, accepting industrial waste including polyvinyl chloride wastes and heavy metal sludge. The site was added to the Superfund National Priorities List in 1989 and deleted in 2019 after initial cleanup goals were met. Cleanup is organized across four operable units covering the landfill cap, leachate systems, a perimeter fence, and groundwater monitoring.
Major contaminants at the site include chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene, 1,2-dichloroethane, and vinyl chloride, along with benzene, toluene, xylene, arsenic, beryllium, and phthalates. These have been found in groundwater and leachate. In September 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection also detected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), specifically PFOA and PFOS, in leachate samples. PFAS was not originally identified as a contaminant of concern at the site. The EPA sampled residential wells in late 2023, early 2024, and again in June 2024, finding PFAS levels above federal drinking water limits in some wells.
A multi-layer cap and leachate collection system were built between 1996 and 2000. Point-of-use water treatment was provided to affected residences, and institutional controls restrict groundwater use and limit land uses such as residential development. A conservation easement with Natural Lands Trust protects 159 acres that include deciduous woodlands and a trout-breeding stream. The 2025 Five-Year Review found that cleanup is protective at most of the site but is not protective at one operable unit due to PFAS in residential wells. An Interim Record of Decision Amendment signed in 2025 formally adds PFOA and PFOS as contaminants of concern and selects a remedy for that unit.
Construction of a new water main and residential service lines is planned to begin by Summer 2027, providing clean drinking water to affected residents. A risk investigation and long-term groundwater remedy for the remaining operable unit are expected to be completed within approximately five years. The next five-year review is due in April 2029. Groundwater monitoring and maintenance of the cap and leachate system are ongoing.
Community members can follow site progress through EPA's Community Involvement Program, site fact sheets, and the administrative record, available online or in person at Kennett Square Library or the EPA Region 3 office in Philadelphia. The EPA held a public meeting on April 2, 2026 to update residents on upcoming actions. For questions, contact the Community Involvement Coordinator or the Remedial Project Manager.
