Palmerton, DEP team up to give hands-on learning

Palmerton residents spent much of the summer hearing from state and federal environmental agencies about above-average air lead levels near the American Zinc Recycling facility.

Months later, Palmerton Area School District is looking to turn that concerning situation into teachable moments.

On Tuesday, Palmerton’s school board unanimously approved a three-year agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection that will result in a permanent air monitoring station and meteorological tower at the junior high/high school complex in Lower Towamensing Township.

“After that report on the lead levels came out, I reached out to DEP with some questions about why they were talking about sample sites at the junior high location versus the elementary schools much closer to American Zinc Recycling,” Palmerton Superintendent Scot Engler said. “I learned there is a lot of science that goes into it such as prevailing winds and that kind of thing.”

As talks progressed, Engler suggested a permanent air monitoring site near the junior high school and high school, which will be tied into Palmerton’s science curriculum.

“We had numerous meetings, and what we envisioned is a situation where our students would be able to be a part of the air testing process and reviewing those results,” Engler said. “The meteorological tower would be a big component of that curriculum as well, and while we’re very early as far as exactly how that will be implemented, we would be incorporating the data that comes from that tower.”

The air monitoring station will be located on a small pad just off to the left inside the entrance to the junior high lot off Fireline Road.

“The meteorological tower may not be located at the same spot as the monitoring station,” Engler said. “That depends on tree height and things like that.”

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry released its Palmerton lead report on July 31.

AERMOD calculations predicted the highest rolling three-month average lead concentrations that exceeded the NAAQS standard average of 0.15 micrograms per cubic meter of air would occur to the northwest of the NAAQS monitor on a bluff near the Palmerton junior high/high school.

Though Palmerton’s agreement with DEP is only for three years, the partnership could be extended into the future.

“We talked about that, and if the results into the future show there is no cause for concern, DEP typically wouldn’t continue things on their end, but since we would be using it for our curriculum, they indicated that is a strong possibility,” Engler said.

DEP will pay for a licensed contractor to install a 12-by-24-foot gravel pad, security fence and electric service. The electric service, per the agreement, will be underground from Fireline Road to an electrical kiosk inside the fence containing the meter, breaker panel and 20-amp outdoor outlets.

The installation of the monitoring station and tower, Engler added, would come at no cost to the district. According to the agreement, DEP will pay an annual fee of $1,200 in 12 monthly installments of $100 to the district.