The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was requested by North Whitehall Township, the PA Department of Environmental Protection and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to investigate the potential for adverse human health exposures to arsenic and lead that may have resulted from pesticide applications to former orchard areas. The areas identified for this investigation are currently being used for residential use, and formerly were used for the commercial growing and harvesting of fruit from orchard trees.
This site originally began as part of the Former Mohr Orchard Site. During assessment activities at the site, data began to indicate that the source of the lead in groundwater was not related to historical pesticide application. The Former Mohr Orchard Site was split into two sites: the Former Mohr Orchard Groundwater Site and the FMO Pesticide Site. For more information on the lead in groundwater issue, or additional information on the previous soil assessment activities, please visit www.epaosc.org/former_mohr_orchard.
Assessment of surface soils at the site was completed in order to identify if there is a potential risk to human health and/or the environment within certain areas of the Former Mohr Orchard site and to additionally determine what specific residential properties contained concentrations of lead and arsenic at concentrations above site action levels.
EPA has begun a removal action at some residential properties within the site area. Access letters for delineation soil sampling and removal activities have been sent out to residential properties at which a potential risk to human health and/or the environment has been identified. Blank letters are included in the documents section of this website. Removal activities are expected to continue through Fall 2011.
