EPA Proposes Superfund Listing For Mercer Site Tainted By Lead

MERCER COUNTY, NJ – The Historic Potteries site in Trenton has be recommended as a superfund site by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The EPA has proposed to add the site to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites, known as the NPL.

By doing so, the EPA hopes to equip itself with the necessary tools to address significant lead contamination affecting residential areas, public spaces, and parks in the neighborhood.

“Decades of using lead in pottery glazes have unfortunately left contamination in the soil around the East Trenton community,” EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said in a statement.

“EPA has already done work to understand and address some of the most immediate risks posed by this site, but the area is large and warrants a much broader investigation under EPA’s superfund program. Listing the Historic Potteries site in the National Priorities List is a crucial step to tackle this legacy contamination and ensure a cleaner, safer environment for residents, students, and future generations in Trenton.”

In January, high levels of lead were found on the grounds of the Ulysses S. Grant Intermediate School in the East Trenton neighborhood. The play areas were closed and students were tested.

The issue came to light after the EPA began testing throughout the area where pottery factories used to be located.

The site and the surrounding area, which includes the East Trenton and Top Road neighborhoods, have a rich history of pottery manufacturing, which thrived from the 1850s to the 1920s.

During this period, over 70 potteries operated, producing various ceramic products. Lead was widely used in pottery glazes during that time, resulting in widespread soil contamination.

The EPA has been investigating the source of lead contamination in East Trenton since 2018.

In 2020, research and field investigations identified historic pottery operations as the likely cause.

In 2023, the EPA sampled soil across residential properties, schools, and parks. According to results, lead levels exceeding health-based benchmarks was found, posing significant health risks, particularly to children.

This past summer, the EPA installed protective measures over impacted areas discovered at the Ulysses. S. Grant Intermediate School.

The EPA will be installing similar protective measures at impacted areas on residential properties and two East Trenton parks over the next several months.

The proposal to add the Historic Potteries site to the Superfund NPL is subject to a 60-day public comment period.

The public can submit comments online or by mail:

• Online (preferred): Visit www.regulations.gov and search “Historic Potteries” or “EPA-HQ-OLEM-2024-0374”

• Mail: Send comments to: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket Center Superfund, EPA-HQ-OLEM-2024-0374, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20460

The EPA proposes sites to the NPL based on a scientific determination of risks to people and the environment. Before EPA adds a site to the NPL, a site must meet EPA’s requirements and be proposed for addition to the list in the Federal Register, subject to a 60-day public comment period.

EPA will add the site to the NPL if it continues to meet the listing requirements after the public comment period closes and the agency has responded to any comments.

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