Hellertown Manufacturing Co. is a 9-acre former spark plug factory in Hellertown, Pennsylvania that operated from 1930 to 1975. Manufacturing wastes, including the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) and metal plating waste, were dumped in unlined lagoons on the property. That practice contaminated both soil and groundwater. The site was added to the EPA's National Priorities List (NPL) on March 31, 1989. The NPL is the federal government's catalog of the most serious hazardous waste sites in the country.
EPA has identified 28 contaminants of concern at the site. Groundwater contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, benzene, and vinyl chloride, along with metals including chromium, mercury, and nickel, plus acetone and cyanide. Soil contains trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, cadmium, chromium, cyanide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and several other compounds. Workers and nearby residents could face risks from ingesting contaminated groundwater or fish, or from direct contact with contaminated water.
Cleanup was divided into two areas. An impermeable cap was built over the former lagoon area, with construction completed by the mid-1990s. A groundwater extraction and treatment system was also installed and ran through August 1997, when an extraction well failed. After repairs and a new well were installed in July 1999, the system resumed. In 2012, EPA halted treatment to study contaminant levels under static conditions, and an Explanation of Significant Differences was issued that same year to document a nonfundamental change to the remedy. Vapor intrusion studies from 2008 to 2010 found no current threat to nearby properties. Pennsylvania state officials took over operation and maintenance in September 2007, and groundwater work is estimated to continue through late 2027.
EPA has determined that human exposure is under control across the entire site and that contaminated groundwater migration has been stabilized. Physical construction of the cleanup is complete. The site achieved "sitewide ready for anticipated reuse" status on August 6, 2013. Groundwater is monitored on a semi-annual basis. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use for domestic purposes and prohibit excavation of contaminated soils. Zoning restrictions also prevent residential development. One contested detail exists between sources: the cleanup section states the impermeable cover was completed in July 1994 and the groundwater system in March 1996, while the cleanup progress section states those dates were December 1994 and June 1996 respectively. The most recent five-year review was completed on March 25, 2025.
Community members can stay involved through EPA's Community Involvement Program. Five-year reviews are conducted periodically to verify that the cleanup continues to protect public health. Site records are available online or in person at the Hellertown Municipal Center at 685 Main Street or at the EPA Region 3 office at 1600 John F. Kennedy Boulevard in Philadelphia. Appointments at either location can be arranged by phone.
