MAX ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDOUS WASTE SITE
In Our “Backyard"
What YOU need to know….
Since 1963, The MAX Environmental (former Mill Service) Waste Hazardous Waste Treatment and disposal landfill has dumped over 50 million tons and 1 billion gallons of toxic wastes into the ground in nearby Yukon, PA. ( per MAX website) This is the ONLY facility in Pennsylvania permitted to treat and dispose of Hazardous Wastes.
MAX has a NPDES permit that allows them to discharge wastes like cadmium, arsenic, chromium and more into Sewickley Creek-a tributary of the Youghiogheny River. Millions of people, including many in Norwin, obtain their drinking water from the Yough River. On numerous occasions over 5 decades, MAX and former Mill Service exceeded the limits and dumped dangerous levels of toxic chemicals into Sewickley Creek. Yet, neither DEP or EPA has acted to halt operations at the site.
Since the 1970’s, Westmoreland county residents in Yukon have tried to raise awareness of the health and environmental dangers from this site. Many living near the facility feel that their health has been impacted. Residents report increased cancers, reproductive issues including miscarriages and infertility, breathing problems, nose bleeds, auto immune diseases and more.
This site has a decades long history of violations, pollution and non compliance. When EPA conducted their past due investigation in 2023, they noted 50 pages of ongoing issues and violations at MAX. This should have been an opportunity for EPA to do the right thing and take actions to permanently shut them down. Instead, EPA noted 50 pages of ongoing issues at the site and waited for an entire year until April 19, 2024 to take action.
On April 19, 2024, EPA entered into a Consent Order with Max. The community feels that this order falls short and fails to protect the Yukon area and beyond.
What EPA found: waste buried at the landfill had 1300 times the legal limit of cadmium, a heavy metal and probable human carcinogen along with poorly maintained buildings with piles of hazardous waste left exposed to the elements. Max failed to conduct required inspections of its containment building or leak detection system. Treated wastes still exceeded the standards for cadmium, thalium and lead.
For more information about the outcomes and next steps mandated by EPA in the April 19, 2023 Consent Order please see:
EPA issues Consent Order to MAX Environmental Technologies to EnsureCompliance …
More information how you can get involved, learn about the history of the site and the community effort to obtain environmental justice can be found at Mountain Watershed Association-campaigns.
The Mountain Watershed Association website is https://mtwatershed.com/hazardous-waste-landfill/