EPA again orders local plant to fix issues, stop polluting creek

YUKON, Pa. — Eric Harder with the Mountain Watershed Association spent part of Tuesday afternoon collecting water samples from the discharge pipe from MAX Environmental into Sewickley Creek.

“It gives us a better window into what’s happening,” Harder told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek.

The Environmental Protection Agency said MAX Environmental violated levels of pollution in water discharge and stormwater runoff from their wastewater plant from July 2022 to July 2023.

They also found multiple issues at the facility, including holes in one of the wastewater treatment plants.

They found high pH levels, and high levels of zinc, cadmium, and other heavy metal pollutants in the water.

Now, the EPA has ordered MAX Environmental to fix the issues. MAX has agreed. It’s the second order from the EPA since April.

>>> EPA orders MAX Environmental to fix treatment, disposal of hazardous materials at Yukon landfill

The Mountain Watershed Association is frustrated.

“The orders typically are what we feel [are] giving the polluter a second chance, in this case, a 50th chance,” Harder said.

MAX Environmental said it has been working to address the issues and has completed some repair work.

Carl Spadaro, the General Manger of the Yukon plant sent Channel 11 this statement:

“With respect to the EPA consent order, we have significantly improved our compliance with our permitted effluent limits over the past year. There have not been any pollutants in stormwater runoff at our facility. We have been working with EPA and PADEP to maintain compliance with our NPDES and other environmental permits and will continue to do so under the EPA consent orders. We have completed some repair work. We will have a third party engineering evaluation of our wastewater treatment system completed this fall and based on recommendations made by the engineers, we will make any necessary repairs and upgrades later this year and early next year.”

Those recommendations will take MAX Environmental about 90 days to receive. Then they’ll send them to the EPA.

The Mountain Watershed Association said MAX has eroded trust in the community.

They’re asking that the EPA order MAX to do additional testing of the water. But, they would rather see the EPA oversee the closure of the plant.

“We still feel that MAX needs to close their operations here with the oversight of the EPA and DEP to make sure that all issues in that investigation are taken care of before MAX or their partners try to leave town,” Harder said.

The EPA said MAX Environmental has six months to submit its plan.

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