Whitmoyer Laboratories

Overview

Whitmoyer Laboratories operated as a veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Jackson Township, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania from 1934 to 1984. Arsenic compounds produced and stored on site were disposed of in unlined lagoons, contaminating soil, groundwater, surface water, and sediments. The site was added to the National Priorities List in 1986. Today it is a 22-acre recreational park owned by Jackson Township, though cleanup work continues.

The site has 24 contaminants of concern spread across groundwater, soil, and solid waste. These include arsenic, volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, benzene, and dichloromethane, as well as benzo(a)pyrene, pyrene, aniline, pentachlorophenol, and other chemicals. Arsenic is the primary driver of ongoing concern, particularly in Tulpehocken Creek sediment.

Cleanup has been extensive. Emergency actions in 1987 provided bottled water to 20 affected homes. Long-term work starting in 1993 demolished 17 buildings, removed roughly 18,000 tons of lagoon waste containing nearly one million pounds of arsenic, and excavated contaminated soils. A groundwater treatment facility built between 1997 and 1998 now processes over 150,000 gallons of contaminated water daily through 14 wells. A groundwater interceptor trench along Tulpehocken Creek near Fairlane Avenue was completed in September 2023 to stop arsenic-impacted groundwater from reaching the creek. All residents whose drinking water was threatened have been connected to the public water supply. The site is divided into six operable units. Most have finished active remediation, though soil work and groundwater monitoring are still underway.

The most recent Five-Year Review, completed April 11, 2025, found current remedies protective of human health and the environment. Soil remedial work has a remedial action estimated for 2025 through 2027. A stream restoration project is scheduled to begin in summer 2026 to remove arsenic-contaminated sediment from Tulpehocken Creek, with work expected to finish by late 2026. Three on-site wells remain under monitoring. Institutional controls restrict groundwater use, prohibit incompatible digging, and limit future development to recreational purposes only.

Community members can speak directly with EPA staff at an availability session on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Jackson Township Municipal Building in Myerstown, Pennsylvania. Questions can also be directed to the EPA's Community Involvement Coordinator. Site documents are available online through EPA's database or in person at the Myerstown Community Library or the EPA Region III office in Philadelphia, with an appointment required for the EPA office.