Boyertown Landfill HSCA Site

Background

The Boyertown Landfill HSCA Site is located in Douglass Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. The Boyertown Sanitary Landfill (landfill) covers 30 acres and operated for a few decades before ceasing operations and being capped in 1987. After closure, the landfill’s owner, Boyertown Sanitary Disposal Company, Inc. (BSDC) was required to maintain the landfill.

BSDC was cited numerous times by DEP for failing to perform necessary maintenance of the landfill. In 2019, sampling by DEP detected PFAS in the landfill’s leachate which led DEP to begin sampling private wells in the vicinity of the landfill. In April 2023, following Pennsylvania’s establishment of drinking water standards for two Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), DEP initiated a response to address drinking water contamination of private wells. In July 2024, DEP expanded the response to incorporate new federal drinking water standards for PFAS.  DEP’s investigation into potentially impacted drinking water wells is ongoing.

What are PFAS?

• Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals, are resistant to heat, water, and oil, and persist in the environment and the human body. PFAS are not found naturally in the environment. 
• They have been used to make cookware, carpets, clothing, fabrics for furniture, paper packaging for food, and other materials that are resistant to water, grease, or stains. They are also used in firefighting foams and in a number of industrial processes.
• More information about PFAS can be found at: PFAS in Pennsylvania and Our Current Understanding of the Human Health and Environmental Risks of PFAS | US EPA

Can I have my private well sampled by DEP for PFAS?

• Please contact the DEP Project Officer to see if you are eligible for DEP sampling. The area eligible for sampling by DEP is based on the department’s current understanding of the contamination originating from the site. This area is routinely adjusted as DEP collects and evaluates data from the site.
• PFAS are unfortunately commonly found in drinking water in Pennsylvania. PFAS are and have been used in a wide variety of common commercial products and industrial operations for several decades. DEP does not regulate private wells, but strongly recommends that well owners routinely sample their wells for a number of contaminants including PFAS, bacteria, volatile organic compounds, and metals. More information on private well testing can be found at DEP's Private Wells webpage.

What is being done to clean up the Site?

• The Boyertown Landfill ceased operations and was capped in 1987. No landfilling operations are currently permitted.
• The BSDC is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the landfill.
• The BSDC has routinely failed to perform its duties to maintain the landfill and respond to releases of contaminants from the landfill in a timely manner.
• Since 2001, DEP and its contractors have taken steps to investigate and address incidents of contamination migrating from the landfill.
• DEP has performed air, drinking water, groundwater, and surface water sampling.
• In 2003, DEP installed a leachate/gas interception trench and an active methane collection/flare system.
• In 2023, DEP began a drinking water response under HSCA to address PFAS in private wells at the Site.
• On February 14, 2024 (PDF), DEP formally referred the Site to EPA for potential inclusion on the National Priorities List and/or Removal Response. 

Community Outreach

DEP Presentations and Fact Sheets:

• June 21, 2023, Drinking Water Response Public Presentation (PDF)