Site Facts
Municipality/County:
Smith Township, Washington County
Historic Use of the Property:
Coal-fired zinc smelter
Primary Contaminants of Concern:
Metals including aluminum, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, selenium, silver, thallium, vanadium and zinc
Year Detected:
1987
Impacting:
Soil, sediment, groundwater and surface water (unnamed tributary to Burgetts Fork, Burgetts Fork)
Cleanup Status:
Site characterization and associated cleanup were completed as of 2024; DEP is reviewing a final report and post remedial care plan for future site monitoring and sampling to evaluate the effectiveness of the cleanup
DEP Project Officer:
Michael Tomei, 414-442-4000 or mtomei@pa.gov
What Happened?
Beginning in 1913 through the late 1940s, American Zinc and Chemical Company owned and operated a 157-acre site in Smith Township, Washington County, which included a zinc smelter, acid plant, and residue mill. The company deep-mined coal onsite to supply the smelter operations and also disposed of various wastes onsite, which resulted in significant contamination of the soil, groundwater, wetlands, and Burgetts Fork, which borders the site and ultimately flows to the Ohio River.
DEP found Cyprus Amax Minerals Company (Cyprus) to be a corporate successor responsible for the contamination and release of hazardous substances. Since 2009, DEP’s enforcement actions have led to successive settlements with Cyprus resulting in a phased cleanup of the site. Significant remediation has already been completed, and cleanup of the site is currently entering its final phase.
2024 Consent Order and Agreement and Public Comment Period
DEP has secured $1.62 million from Cyprus Amax Minerals Company to address legacy pollution and will use the money for projects to benefit the environment in Washington County. The company will also pay $68,057 to reimburse DEP’s costs to assess and investigate the site.
DEP accepted public comments on the Consent Order and Agreement until Tuesday, December 11, 2024.
On January 23, 2025, DEP responded to public comments received during the comment period.
Natural Resource Damages
Pennsylvania’s Hazardous Sites Cleanup Act (HSCA) and its federal counterpart, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), authorize that, as a trustee of Pennsylvania’s natural resources and acting on behalf of the public, DEP may assess and collect damages for injury to natural resources, with money recovered to be used to restore, replace, or acquire the equivalent of such injured natural resources.
The natural resource damages DEP collects will be directed to towards projects to benefit the impacted community near the site. Before making a decision on what projects will be funded, DEP intends to provide additional information and opportunities for the public to learn more about the use of the funds and the development of a project plan and will post that information on this webpage as it becomes available.
Community Outreach
DEP has long worked with communities around Pennsylvania to further environmental justice in line with the statutes and authorities administered by the DEP and will continue to reach out to communities living in EJ areas when they are facing an environmental crisis or dealing with a newly permitted facility.
In an effort to build long-lasting relationships with EJ communities outside of individual projects or emergencies, the Shapiro Administration has directed DEP to increase proactive outreach and engagement. The Office of Environmental Justice's (OEJ) goal is to increase strategic community education, outreach, engagement, and capacity building through intentional action.
More information is available on OEJ’s webpage,
For any questions, please email Southwestern Regional Coordinator, Emily Green at emgreen@pa.gov.
Additional Contact Information
DEP Site Related Questions:
Michael Tomei
Site Project Officer
412-442-4000 or
mtomei@pa.gov
DEP Community and Media Relations:
Laina Aquiline
Regional Communications Manager
412-442-4311 or
laquiline@pa.gov
DEP Legislative Inquiries:
Brian Schimmel
Local Government Liaison
412-442-4199 or brschimmel@pa.gov
Rocco Giammarie
Local Government Liason
412-442-4189 or
rgiammaria@pa.gov