Contaminant 0700
Unresolved Drinking water rule (140) violation cited in 2021 (contaminant 0700).
City · TRI 2024
Lancaster, Pennsylvania Pollution
5 TRI facilities inside the city limits and 8 public water systems serving residents. In-city TRI releases rose sharply year over year (+65%). Toxic releases concentrations have more than halved since 2010.
FIPS 4241216 · population 57,970 · Lancaster County
Anomaly engine
Notable Signals
Chlorine
Unresolved Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts (Stage 2) violation cited in 2024 (chlorine).
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Unresolved Total Trihalomethanes Rule violation cited in 2021 (haloacetic acids (haa5)).
Contaminant 8000
Unresolved Revised Total Coliform Rule violation cited in 2025 (contaminant 8000).
Showing the 4 most editorially weighted signals out of 14. Lower-severity signals fold into the chemical breakdown and history charts below.
Pollutant pathways
Lancaster Pollutant Multi-Year Trends
PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual))Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.
PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) concentrations have fallen 48% since 2010.
PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour))Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.
PM2.5 24-hour 98th percentile (NAAQS 35 µg/m³ (24-hour)) concentrations have fallen 41% since 2010.
Ozone 8-hour 4th-highest daily max (NAAQS 0.070 ppm (8-hour))Health riskGround-level ozone (smog) forms when vehicle and industrial emissions react in sunlight. Inflames the airways, triggers asthma attacks, and worsens heart and lung disease.
Ozone 8-hour 4th-highest daily max (NAAQS 0.070 ppm (8-hour)) concentrations have fallen 26% since 2010.
NO₂ annual mean (NAAQS 53 ppb (annual))Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.
NO₂ annual mean (NAAQS 53 ppb (annual)) concentrations have fallen 34% since 2010.
Lifetime cancer risk all pollutants (100 in a million (EPA elevated threshold))Health riskEPA-modeled added cancer cases per million residents from a lifetime of breathing local air toxics. EPA flags 100-in-a-million as elevated.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Formaldehyde ambient mean (0.077 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic emitted by refineries, wood products, and combustion. EPA classifies it as a known human carcinogen — long-term inhalation raises cancer risk.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
Benzene ambient mean (0.13 µg/m³ (1-in-a-million URE))Health riskAn air toxic from gasoline, refineries, and tobacco smoke. A known human carcinogen — chronic exposure is linked to leukemia and other blood cancers.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as released into the air — fugitive leaks plus smokestack emissions. Higher pounds means more inhaled exposure for nearby residents.
TRI air releases (5.1 fugitive + 5.2 stack) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
TRI water releases (5.3)Health riskToxic chemicals reported by industrial facilities as discharged to surface waters (rivers, lakes, the ocean). Affects fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.
TRI water releases (5.3) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
TRI land + off-site releasesHealth riskToxic chemicals released to land on-site or transferred off-site for disposal — landfills, deep-well injection, and similar. Risks groundwater contamination over time.
TRI land + off-site releases concentrations have fallen 18% since 2010.
Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023)Health riskGreenhouse gases reported by large industrial emitters under EPA's GHGRP, in metric tons of CO₂ equivalent. Drives climate warming and the heat-related health effects that follow.
Greenhouse gases (GHGRP large emitters, through 2023) concentrations have fallen 10% since 2010.
Top facilities · TRI 2024
Largest Emitters Inside The City
| Facility | Top chemical | Total releases | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahf Products Lancaster FacilityAhf Products LLC | Zinc compoundsHealth riskGenerally low acute toxicity. Chronic high-dose exposure disrupts copper absorption and immune function. (ATSDR) | 4k lb | +258% |
| J Walter Miller CO | CopperHealth riskInhaled copper fumes cause metal-fume fever; chronic ingestion above EPA's 1.3 mg/L action level damages the liver. (EPA) | 2k lb | -21% |
| J.L. Clark LLCCcgc LLC | n-Butyl alcoholHealth riskEye and respiratory irritant; high exposure causes hearing loss and central-nervous-system effects. (NIOSH) | 278 lb | +40% |
| Lumsden Corp Abraso StFenner INC | ChromiumHealth riskHexavalent chromium (Cr-VI) is an IARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation, causing lung cancer; trivalent chromium is far less toxic. (IARC, EPA) | 160 lb | +3% |
| Lumsden Corp Loop RdFenner INC | ChromiumHealth riskHexavalent chromium (Cr-VI) is an IARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation, causing lung cancer; trivalent chromium is far less toxic. (IARC, EPA) | 23 lb | +28% |
Drinking water · SDWIS
Water Systems Serving Lancaster
30 unresolved violations on the SDWIS record across utilities serving this city.
8
Utilities serving
121,138
Population served
19
Health-based · 5yr
30
Unresolved
| Water system | PWSID | Population served | Health-based · 5yr | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groffdale Mobilehome Park Private | PA7360098 | 98 | 10 | UNRESOLVED |
| Village At Safe Harbor Private | PA7360122 | 120 | 6 | UNRESOLVED |
| Hilltop Acres Mhp Private | PA7360075 | 120 | 1 | UNRESOLVED |
| City Of Lancaster Municipal | PA7360058 | 120,000 | 2 | Returned to compliance |
| Tamarack & Spread Eagle Mhp Private | PA7360109 | 300 | 0 | UNRESOLVED |
| Hawk Valley Village Private | PA7360016 | 250 | 0 | UNRESOLVED |
| Rolling Hills Mhp Private | PA7360010 | 150 | 0 | UNRESOLVED |
| Devon Creek Development Mixed | PA7360131 | 100 | 0 | UNRESOLVED |
A public water systemis the regulated entity, not the city. EPA's SDWIS definition covers anything serving 25+ people for 60+ days a year or with 15+ service connections — that includes municipal utilities (City of Stockton), water districts, mobile home parks operating their own wells, schools, and small private subdivisions. Each system is independently monitored. Some systems serve multiple cities; some cities are served by many systems.
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity
Who Lives In Lancaster
Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Census place block groups): 57,970 residents. City disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits moderately above the reference (147). Why we surface this →
18.7%
Low-income
61.1%
People of color
5.5%
Under age 5
9.3%
Over age 64
- PM2.5 (fine particulate)Health riskFine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller. They travel deep into the lungs and into the bloodstream — linked to asthma, heart disease, stroke, and premature death.75above the national median
- OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.48near the national median
- Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)Health riskA tailpipe and combustion gas. Concentrates near busy roads and industrial sites; raises risk of airway inflammation, asthma, and lower respiratory infections in children.60above the national median
- Diesel particulateHealth riskSoot from diesel engines (trucks, trains, ports, construction). EPA classifies it as a likely human carcinogen and a major driver of childhood asthma near freight corridors.73above the national median
- Toxic releases (RSEI)Health riskEPA's Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators score — weights TRI chemical releases by toxicity, where they go, and how many people are nearby. Higher means greater modeled cancer and chronic-health risk.97in the highest 5% nationally
- Traffic proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to high-volume roads. Living close to heavy traffic raises exposure to PM2.5, NO₂, and diesel exhaust — and the cardiovascular and asthma risks that follow.69above the national median
- Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing)Health riskShare of housing built before 1960, when lead-based paint was common. Dust from deteriorating paint is the leading cause of childhood lead poisoning, which permanently impairs cognitive development.91in the highest 10% nationally
- Superfund site proximityHealth riskPopulation-weighted distance to NPL Superfund sites — the most contaminated waste sites in the country. Nearby groundwater, soil, and air can carry industrial solvents, metals, and other long-lived contaminants.56near the national median
- RMP-facility proximityHealth riskDistance to facilities holding chemicals at quantities large enough to require an EPA Risk Management Plan (refineries, fertilizer plants, etc.). These pose acute exposure risk during accidental releases.71above the national median
- Hazardous-waste site proximityHealth riskDistance to RCRA hazardous-waste handlers (treatment, storage, disposal facilities). Indicates potential exposure to industrial chemicals in air, soil, and groundwater.85in the highest 20% nationally
- Underground storage tanksHealth riskDensity of underground tanks (gasoline, heating oil, industrial fluids). Leaking tanks are a leading source of benzene and other volatile organic compounds in groundwater drinking-water supplies.80in the highest 20% nationally
- NPDES wastewater proximityHealth riskDistance to permitted industrial wastewater dischargers. Closer proximity raises exposure to pollutants released into surface waters used for fishing, recreation, and downstream drinking-water intakes.97in the highest 5% nationally
- Drinking-water non-complianceHealth riskEPA score for public water systems with health-based Safe Drinking Water Act violations. Higher means more residents on systems that recently exceeded safe limits for contaminants like lead, arsenic, or nitrate.76above the national median
| Indicator | Disparity score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (fine particulate) | 147 | moderately above the reference |
| Ozone | 122 | moderately above the reference |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 113 | moderately above the reference |
| Diesel particulate | 137 | moderately above the reference |
| Toxic releases (RSEI) | 185 | well above the reference burden |
| Traffic proximity | 129 | moderately above the reference |
| Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing) | 168 | well above the reference burden |
| Superfund site proximity | 0 | well below the reference |
| RMP-facility proximity | 135 | moderately above the reference |
| Hazardous-waste site proximity | 161 | well above the reference burden |
| Underground storage tanks | 140 | moderately above the reference |
| NPDES wastewater proximity | 182 | well above the reference burden |
| Drinking-water non-compliance | 0 | well below the reference |
Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).
Sources.
- EPA Toxics Release Inventory · retrieved 2026-05-07.
- EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System · retrieved 2026-05-07.