Industrial Lane

Overview

Industrial Lane is a 30-acre Superfund site in Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. It operated as an unlined landfill starting in 1961, accepting miscellaneous wastes, and later ran as a permitted landfill until 1988. Iron ore extraction and iron works operations at the site may also have contributed to contamination. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List in September 1984.

Groundwater is the primary affected medium. EPA has identified 25 contaminants of concern, including volatile organic compounds such as trichloroethene, tetrachloroethene, vinyl chloride, and benzene. Chlorinated solvents, heavy metals including lead, chromium, mercury, and manganese, and semi-volatile organic compounds and phthalates have also been detected. Contamination was first documented in 1980.

Cleanup has moved through several stages. In 1989, water service lines were extended to 24 residences with contaminated or threatened wells. The unlined landfill was closed in 1993 under state regulations. A pump and treat system began operating in June 1999 and continues to run today, pulling contaminated groundwater from vertical wells and treating it through carbon adsorption and air stripping. An engineered cap is also in place. In December 2015, EPA issued a decision adding institutional controls to the remedy, and those controls were recorded in September 2016. They restrict land uses such as residential development to limit exposure to remaining contamination. Construction at the site was declared complete in June 1999, and the site achieved ready-for-anticipated-use status in September 2016.

EPA's most recent Five-Year Review, completed in September 2023, concluded that the remedy is protective of human health and the environment. Human exposure is currently under control, and migration of contaminated groundwater is stabilized with no unacceptable discharge to surface water. Long-term response actions continue under state oversight, with an estimated completion between September and November 2027. The next Five-Year Review is scheduled for 2028. A permitted, lined landfill continues to operate on and next to the site, and as of December 2024, one on-site business was operating there.

Community members who want more information or have questions can contact EPA directly using the information below. Detailed administrative records related to EPA decisions are available at the Williams Township Municipal Office in Easton, Pennsylvania, and at the EPA Region 3 Public Reading Room in Philadelphia. An appointment is recommended before visiting the Philadelphia reading room.