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Carbon, PA

Moderate Risk (53/100)

Transparent derived index from EPA TRI / SDWIS / Superfund extracts: not an official EPA rating. Fixed caps: facilities ≤25 pts (50+ = max), log10 releases ≤25 pts, Superfund ≤25 pts (5/site), health-violation systems ≤15 pts (3/system), high-chemical facilities ≤10 pts. Bands: High ≥60, Moderate ≥30. See methodology. This is a different measure than the EJ Screening score for this county, which ranks it by percentile against other tracked counties rather than against these fixed caps.

Environmental data for Carbon in Pennsylvania · Population: 65,191

TRI sites such as Panther Creek Power Operating LLC; Befesa Zinc US Inc.; Kme Corp; SDWIS systems such as LANSFORD COALDALE JT WATER AUT; LEHIGHTON WATER AUTHORITY; PALMERTON MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY; NPL sites such as Palmerton Zinc Pile; Tonolli Corp. anchor Carbon, PA's EPA extract. Derived burden score 53/100 (Moderate Risk) uses fixed national caps on density, log release volume, Superfund count, and health-flagged systems - not an official EPA rating.

EPCRA disclosures in Carbon total 3.0M lbs; health-flagged SDWIS rows include LANSFORD COALDALE JT WATER AUT; PALMERTON MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY; SUMMIT HILL WATER AUTHORITY, while Panther Creek Power Operating LLC leads TRI pounds. No AQS county monitors report here.

Largest TRI sites in the extract: Panther Creek Power Operating LLC; Befesa Zinc US Inc.; Kme Corp. Named SDWIS systems: LANSFORD COALDALE JT WATER AUT; LEHIGHTON WATER AUTHORITY; PALMERTON MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY. NPL sites on record: Palmerton Zinc Pile; Tonolli Corp.. Burden score 53/100 (Moderate Risk) is the only weighted composite here; tables reproduce EPA disclosure history, not a current-safety verdict.

Release-over-release change

What changed for Carbon, PA: EPA TRI 2023 reporting year

2022 → 2023

Same facilities, both years

-47.0%

7 facilities that filed in 2022 and 2023

Whole inventory

-47.0%

1.0 million lb → 530.6 thousand lb, every facility that filed

  • Carbon, PA's total reported releases fell from 1.0 million lb in 2022 to 530.6 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Carbon, PA's land releases rose from 0 lb in 2022 to 77.2 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Carbon, PA's off-site transfers fell from 875.8 thousand lb in 2022 to 355.1 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
  • Carbon, PA's water releases rose from 4.9 thousand lb in 2022 to 6.5 thousand lb in 2023, based on EPA TRI filings.
County population (Census ACS)
65,191
TRI Facilities
8
Water Systems
20
Superfund Sites
2
Total Releases
3.0M lbs

Water Systems (20)

System System pop (SDWIS) Violations
LANSFORD COALDALE JT WATER AUT 9,300 4
LEHIGHTON WATER AUTHORITY 9,000 0
PALMERTON MUNICIPAL AUTHORITY 7,000 1
SUMMIT HILL WATER AUTHORITY 2,890 2
JIM THORPE BOROUGH WATER EAST 2,853 0
NESQUEHONING BORO WATER AUTH 2,850 1
WEATHERLY BORO MUN AUTH 2,612 2
JIM THORPE BOROUGH WATER WEST 2,274 2
BEAVER MEADOWS BOROUGH 968 1
BOWMANSTOWN AUTHORITY 900 0
S R WATER 500 15
NORTHSIDE HEIGHTS ESTATES 461 0
TRI VALLEY ELDO LAKE DIVISION 310 17
NIS HOLLOW ESTATES 265 9
CYPRESS PARK 210 0
CHESTNUT RIDGE MHP 152 0
MAHONING VALLEY CONVALESCENT H 145 0
CARBON COUNTY CORRECTIONAL FAC 125 8
BLUE MOUNTAIN VIEW 114 0
MAHONING MANOR ESTATES 90 0

TRI Facilities (8)

# Facility Total Releases
1 Panther Creek Power Operating LLC 2.1M lbs
2 Befesa Zinc US Inc. 807.1K lbs
3 Kme Corp 22.9K lbs
4 Ampal 8.7K lbs
5 Airgas Specialty Products-Palmerton Pa 7.0K lbs
6 Westchester Plastics LLC 100 lbs
7 Blue Ridge Pressure Castings 3 lbs
8 Weatherly Casting & Machine Co 0 lbs

Superfund Sites (2)

Site Name Status HRS Score
Palmerton Zinc Pile NPL Site 42.93
Tonolli Corp. NPL Site 46.58

Cities in Carbon (11)

Nesquehoning
3 facilities · 2 water
Palmerton
3 facilities · 1 water
Lehighton
1 facilities · 7 water
Weatherly
1 facilities · 1 water
Ashfield
0 facilities · 2 water
Jim Thorpe
0 facilities · 2 water
Beaver Meadows
0 facilities · 1 water
Bowmanstown
0 facilities · 1 water
Lake Harmony
0 facilities · 1 water
Lansford
0 facilities · 1 water
Summit Hill
0 facilities · 1 water

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the environmental risk level in Carbon, Pennsylvania? ▼
Carbon, PA has an environmental risk score of 53/100 (Moderate Risk), based on 8 TRI facilities, 2 Superfund sites, and 20 water systems on record. 11 water systems have health-based violations. Source: EPA TRI, SDWIS, and Superfund NPL.
Are there Superfund sites in Carbon? ▼
Yes, Carbon, PA has 2 Superfund sites on the EPA National Priorities List (NPL). Superfund sites are contaminated locations that require long-term cleanup under the EPA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA).
How many toxic release facilities are in Carbon? ▼
Carbon, PA has 8 TRI-reporting facilities on record with the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, with a combined total of 3.0M lbs in reported toxic releases. TRI facilities self-report annual chemical release data to the EPA.
What is the air quality in Carbon? ▼
Air quality monitoring data (EPA AQS) is not available for Carbon, PA. This may indicate no EPA monitoring stations are located in the county. For regional air quality data, see the state environmental profile or visit EPA's AirNow.gov.
Is the drinking water safe in Carbon? ▼
Carbon, PA has 20 EPA-regulated water systems. 11 systems have reported health-based violations (MCL exceedances). A past violation does not necessarily mean water is currently unsafe. For current water quality, contact your local water utility. Source: EPA SDWIS.
What environmental agencies cover Carbon? ▼
Environmental compliance in Carbon, Pennsylvania is overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at the federal level and the Pennsylvania state environmental agency. Facilities report to the EPA Toxic Release Inventory, water systems are regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act, and contaminated sites are managed under the Superfund program. Contact your state environmental agency for local concerns.

What does this county environmental profile show?

This county environmental profile rolls up EPA Toxics Release Inventory facility reports, Safe Drinking Water Information System public-water-system filings, and Superfund National Priorities List sites for the county boundary defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Facility counts reflect facilities with a reporting address inside the county, not where downstream environmental effects may be observed. Population figures are from the most recent Census ACS 5-year estimate. The county detail page is updated whenever the upstream EPA programs publish revised data; see the methodology page for the documented ingest cadence and the editorial choices governing how aggregations are computed.

Related Guides

Understanding EPA Data
How EPA collects and publishes environmental data
Environmental Justice
Who lives near polluters and environmental hazards
How to Check Environmental Quality
Step-by-step guide to checking your local environment

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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Data sourced from U.S. EPA environmental datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainEnviro