Jackson Ceramix operated as a china manufacturing and painting facility in Falls Creek, Pennsylvania from 1917 to 1985. Decades of operation left soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater contaminated with lead, zinc, arsenic, manganese, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) including trichloroethene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the site to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) in September 2005. Lead is the primary contaminant of concern, stemming directly from the china production process.
Contamination reached the environment through lead-laden wastewater discharged into an unlined drainage ditch and lagoon, which drained into a nearby wetland and floodplain along Sandy Lick Creek. Buried and stockpiled china debris also contributed. Affected media include soil, sediment, surface water, and groundwater. Human exposure to contaminated soil and sediment may result in unacceptable health risks. Ecological risks exist in the floodplain and forested wetland, primarily from lead and zinc. EPA conducted a residential well survey and found that wells nearest the site are unlikely to be affected. Residents in Falls Creek use the Dubois water system and are not impacted by on-site groundwater contamination. Groundwater migration is considered stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water.
EPA has divided cleanup into three operable units (OUs). OU1 covers the former manufacturing area and ballfield. A Record of Decision (ROD) issued in March 2021 selected remedies including soil cap repair, in situ thermal treatment of VOCs, in situ stabilization of drainage channel soils, and excavation with off-site disposal of contaminated material. Remedial work is ongoing. As of March 1, 2026, crews have removed 10,000 pounds of VOCs from groundwater and excavated more than 148,000 tons of lead-contaminated soil across two phases. OU2 covers the Sandy Lick Creek floodplain. A ROD issued in April 2023 calls for excavation of ceramic waste and contaminated sediments, off-site disposal, and wetlands restoration. Work began in September 2024, and as of March 1, 2026, workers have excavated 93,000 cubic yards of material and disposed of 126,000 tons of waste. OU3 addresses groundwater and is still in the feasibility study phase, with a ROD estimated between May and July 2028. In August 2023, EPA deleted an eight-acre Baseball Field Area from the NPL after determining contaminant levels there no longer pose unacceptable risk. Physical construction across the full site is not yet complete, and the site has not yet achieved sitewide readiness for reuse. Falls Creek Borough owns a portion of the site and is exploring industrial and commercial redevelopment options.
Community members with questions can contact the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator or Remedial Project Manager. EPA documents are available online through the Superfund database and in person at the Dubois Public Library in Dubois, Pennsylvania, or at the EPA Region III office in Philadelphia.
