Palmerton was incorporated about 106 years ago because of the growing zinc mining industry, which began about 14 years earlier.

In its heyday, the New Jersey Zinc Co. was the largest U.S. producer of zinc, which was used extensively in the manufacture of construction materials and brass items.

In fact, the borough was named after Stephen Palmer, the legendary head of New Jersey Zinc.

Along with its historic legacy, the zinc company left a major toxic footprint after its 1980 closing that federal, state and local officials are dealing with until this very day.

Along with its important economic contributions, the company also left behind some 33 million tons of waste as a byproduct of its mining operations. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined that the pile extended for 2.5 miles, was 100 feet high and nearly 1,000 feet (more than three football fields) wide.

The smelting operation released not only lead but cadmium and zinc into the air and nearby waters of the Lehigh River and Aquashicola Creek. About 2,000 acres of the Blue Mountain were denuded, killed by the toxic aftermath of the mining process.

The site was added to the federal Superfund list in 1983, and, in the intervening 35 years, major progress has been made to reclaim the tainted land. More than $20 million has been paid to the federal government and Pennsylvania for natural resources damages.

The Lehigh River has become a popular tourist attraction for white water rafting and other outdoor activity, and the Blue Mountain Resort is thriving, both encouraging signs of this reclamation.

But what about the human toll?

A federal report issued early this year indicates that air lead levels near the American Zinc Recycling facility in Palmerton could present health risks for pregnant women and children living within a 3-mile radius of the plant. About 850 residents inhabit this area.

The Palmerton facility, one of six the company operates nationwide, produces concentrated zinc material in three kilns and powder metal in zinc alloys.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency in 2017 requested a lead-exposure study near the plant site on the east side of the borough. According to Dr. Karl Markiewicz, senior toxicologist with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (Eastern branch, Region 3), the air level readings exceeded the national standards.

Markiewicz recommends having children tested annually for lead levels, using wet cleaning methods in residences, then disposing of the cleaning cloths after use, using a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter in air conditioners and require children to wash their hands thoroughly after playing outside. He also said if high lead levels are detected in their blood, children should receive calcium treatments.

Borough officials are, of course, concerned and will determine what the next steps will be. At a minimum, I would suggest a public meeting to give borough residents the most up-to-date information coming from those who can decipher the known data and communicate the findings in layman’s terms.

Even if all of the information is not yet wrapped in a neat package, concerned residents should get as much information as is available.

Testing children is definitely one of the big take-aways from what we know now; risks to pregnant women is another. According to Markiewicz, the developing nervous system in children is among the most sensitive involving lead exposure.

Markiewicz also said lead exposure in pregnant women could lead to low birth weight, learning and behavior issues and impairment to a child’s developing brain.

The Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be tested for lead levels at ages 1 and 2. Doctors might also suggest lead screening for older children who haven’t been tested previously. A simple blood test can detect lead poisoning, the academy said.

At least 4 million households nationwide have children in them who are exposed to high lead levels, according to the CDC. About half a million of them, ages 1 to 5, are in residences where these levels are higher than the approved limits.

Protecting children from exposure to lead is important to lifelong good health. Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect intelligence, the ability to pay attention and academic achievement. Effects of lead exposure cannot be corrected, the CDC said. The most important step parents, doctors and others can take is to prevent lead exposure before it occurs.

The answer? Regrettably, there are no foolproof solutions. The most direct step is to remove the source of contamination. If this is not possible, then a concerted mitigation program needs to be worked out through a collaboration among health officials, government and the community.

By Bruce Frassinelli | tneditor@tnonline.com