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| PRICE BATTERY | Hamburg, Pennsylvania | |
| Berks County | 17th Congressional District |
Site Location/Size:
The Price Battery site is located in the Borough of Hamburg,
Pennsylvania, in Berks County. The site consists of the former smelter
and lead battery processing and manufacturing facility and,
additionally, surrounding residential properties.
Site History:
Operating from the 1940s until 1971, Price Battery recycled lead-acid
batteries and produced approximately 15,000 batteries per year. It also
operated a smelter that released lead to air. The smelter operation was
closed in 1971, following citizen complaints that date back as far as
1941of noxious odors and acid fumes being emitted from Price Battery.
The citizens' legal counsel indicated that smoke stacks on Price Battery
emitted lead-contaminated ash produced from melting used batteries.
Additionally, Price Battery used lead-contaminated battery waste and
slag as fill material throughout the Borough of Hamburg. Battery
casings also were made available to people to pick up for use as fill.
Site Contamination/Contaminants:
The contaminant of concern associated with the past site operations is
lead. Soil samples obtained from the residential properties meet the
definition of hazardous waste for toxicity characteristic for lead.
Potential Impacts on Surrounding Community/Environment:
Approximately 222 residential properties have been documented to have
lead-contaminated soil at significant levels above the background
concentrations. Children have been observed playing in this area where
significant levels of lead contamination has been detected in soils.
The pattern of lead concentrations detected in the soil samples
indicates that the lead concentrations are highest near Price Battery.
Additionally, the area of contamination is located in the downwind
direction from the Price Battery facility.
Response Activities (to date):
In response to the above findings, EPA conducted additional soil
sampling of residential properties and removed the top one foot of
lead-contaminated soil from some of the affected residential properties.
Removal activities to address contamination at additional residential
properties are ongoing. The removal activities have helped to minimize
the threat of exposure to lead in the soil at residential properties;
however, it does not adequately address all of the environmental
concerns.
[The description of the site (release) is based on information available at the time the site was evaluated with the HRS. The description may change as additional information is gathered on the sources and extent of contamination. See 56 FR 5600, February 11, 1991, or subsequent FR notices.]
For more information about the hazardous substances identified in this narrative summary, including general information regarding the effects of exposure to these substances on human health, please see the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) ToxFAQs. ATSDR ToxFAQs can be found on the Internet at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html or by telephone at 1-888-42-ATSDR or 1-888-422-8737.