Site Facts
Municipality/County:
Smith Township, Washington County
Site Location:
Area of Brennan Road, Mountain View Drive, and Durham Road, including portions of Easton Road, Cord Way, Tower Road, Park Drive West in Nockamixon Township.
Primary Contaminants of Concern:
Trichloroethene (TCE), Tetrachloroethene (PCE), other chlorinated solvents, and 1,4-Dioxane
Detected in:
Soil, Ground Water, and Surface Water
Impacting:
Drinking Water and Indoor Air
Completed DEP Response Actions:
Drinking Water (2011), Indoor Air (2018)
DEP Project Officer:
Dustin Armstrong, 484-250-5723 or darmstrong@pa.gov
What Happened?
The Nockamixon TCE HSCA Site is located in Nockamixon Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Chlorinated solvents have contaminated the soil, surface water, and groundwater at the Site. DEP has identified a former 77.2-acre farm on Brennan Road as the source of the contamination. The farm, which was subdivided into nine parcels in 1978, housed drums of unknown contents and other deposited/buried wastes. Property owners removed the drums in 1980, but subsequent investigations revealed elevated concentrations of chlorinated solvents in the areas where the drums had been stored.
In 2009, the Bucks County Health Department notified DEP of Trichloroethene (TCE) contamination in wells serving a local restaurant and several homes. Between 2009 and 2011, DEP sampled more than 100 private drinking water wells in the area. Chlorinated solvents, TCE, and/or Tetrachloroethene (PCE) exceeded Safe Drinking Water Maximum Contaminant Levels in wells serving 45 homes. DEP subsequently installed carbon filter systems on 42 of those homes.
Indoor air of two residential properties near the contamination source areas was impacted by vapor intrusion (VI). DEP subsequently installed vapor mitigation systems in those homes.
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.
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.
- Response to Public Comments (PDF)
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.
Community Updates
To subscribe to updates, please send an email to: darmstrong@pa.gov.
Please indicate in the subject line or text of the email that you’d like to receive updates related to the Nockamixon Site.
Additional Contact Information
DEP Site Related Questions:
Dustin Armstrong
Site Project Officer
484-250-5723 or
darmstrong@pa.gov
Christine McCarthy
HSCA Supervisor
484-250-5725 or
chmccarthy@pa.gov
DEP Community and Media Relations:
Lauren Camarda
Regional Communications Manager
412-442-4203 or
lcamarda@pa.gov
DEP Legislative Inquiries:
Lisa Strobridge P.G.
Local Government Liaison
484-250-5817 or
lstrobridg@pa.gov
Municipality Information:
Nockamixon Township
610-847-5058 or
nockamixon@ptd.net