EPA Press Office:

EPA removing portion of Jackson Ceramix Site from list of nation’s most contaminated sites

PHILADELPHIA (August 16, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deleted an eight-acre portion of the Jackson Ceramix Superfund Site from the National Priorities List (NPL). The NPL is a list of the nation’s most contaminated hazardous sites. Portions of sites can be removed from the NPL after investigations conclude that no further action is needed to address public health.

The Jackson Ceramix Superfund Site is approximately 233 acres in both Jefferson and Clearfield Counties, Pennsylvania. EPA added the Site to the NPL in 2005 to address contamination from a former facility that manufactured china from 1917 to 1985. The portion of the Site removed from the NPL is known as the Baseball Field Area, located wholly in Jefferson County. It was initially identified as an area of concern because evidence suggested that china was buried in or near this portion during facility operations. However, after conducting a remedial investigation of the Baseball Field Area, EPA found that contaminants were not found in soils or the unsaturated subsurface at concentrations that would pose a risk to human health or the environment.

When a site - or portion of a site - meets the criteria for deletion from the NPL, EPA works with its state government partners on concurrence. In this instance, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection concurred with the partial deletion. EPA announced its intent to partially delete a portion of the Site on February 22, 2023, beginning a 30-day public comment period during which EPA received no significant comments.

EPA will use Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to continue working on the remedial actions for the Site. Additional information and updates can be found by visiting the Jackson Ceramix Superfund webpage, https://www.epa.gov/superfund/jacksonceramix.