PM2.5 annual mean
PM2.5 annual mean in Luzerne County reached 12.6 µg/m³ in 2010, 40% above the EPA NAAQS of 9 µg/m³.
County · TRI 2024
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania Pollution
10 top TRI facilities tracked here. PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) held roughly steady year over year (—). PM2.5 annual mean (NAAQS 9 µg/m³ (annual)) volumes here are too small to anchor a multi-year trend; YoY movement is still shown above.
FIPS 42079 · population 325,396
Multi-year history not yet ingested.
Anomaly engine
Notable Signals
Total TRI releases
Total TRI releases at Luzerne County have more than halved since 2010 (through 2024).
Top facilities mapped
Where Chemicals Are Released In Luzerne County
Each red dot is one of the top TRI facilities. Size reflects 2024 total releases. County boundary outlined in blue.
Pollutant pathways
Luzerne County 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.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
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.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
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 22% 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.
Single-vintage exposure modeling — EPA cadence is multi-year, so no trend line yet.
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) concentrations have fallen 47% since 2010.
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 more than halved 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 more than doubled since 2010.
Top facilities · 2024
Where The Chemical Releases Are Concentrated
| Facility | City | Top chemical | Total releases | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell CooksonGriffon CORP | Mountain Top | DiisocyanatesHealth riskLeading cause of occupational asthma; severe respiratory sensitizers. (OSHA) | 24k lb | +488% |
| Nucor Towers & StructuresNucor CORP | Hazleton | ManganeseHealth riskExcess inhalation can cause manganism, a Parkinson-like neurological disorder. (ATSDR) | 17k lb | +6082% |
| Hunlock Creek Generating LLC Hunlock Creek Energy CenterRiverview Power LLC | Hunlock Creek | AmmoniaHealth riskSevere respiratory and eye irritant; high concentrations cause chemical burns to lung tissue. (EPA) | 16k lb | +13% |
| Ball Metal Beverage Container CorpBall CORP | Pittston | Certain glycol ethersHealth riskReproductive toxicants; some cause testicular damage and developmental harm. (EPA) | 12k lb | -22% |
| General Dynamics Ots (Wilkes-Barre) LLC - Hanover FacilityGeneral Dynamics CORP | Wilkes Barre | Copper compoundsHealth riskInhaled copper fumes cause metal-fume fever; chronic ingestion above EPA's 1.3 mg/L action level damages the liver. (EPA) | 7k lb | +5227% |
| Schott N.A. INCSchott CORP | Duryea | Barium compounds (except for barium sulfate (CAS No. 7727-43-7))Health riskSoluble barium compounds are toxic if ingested, affecting the heart, kidneys, and nervous system. Insoluble forms (e.g. barium sulfate) are far less toxic. (EPA) | 7k lb | +114% |
| Silgan White Cap CorpSilgan Holdings INC | Hazleton | Xylene (mixed isomers)Health riskEye, skin, and respiratory irritant; central-nervous-system effects from chronic exposure. (EPA) | 7k lb | +0% |
| Fairchild SemiconductorSemiconductor Components Industries LLC | Mountain Top | Nitrate compounds (water dissociable; reportable only when in aqueous solution)Health riskDrinking-water nitrate causes methemoglobinemia ('blue-baby syndrome') in infants; EPA MCL is 10 mg/L as N. (EPA) | 6k lb | +12% |
| Intermetro Industries CorpIntermetro Industries CORP | Wilkes-Barre | Aluminum (fume or dust)Health riskInhaled aluminum fumes can cause lung scarring (aluminosis); high cumulative exposure has been linked to neurological effects. (NIOSH) | 5k lb | -11% |
| Modineer - Pulverman | Dallas | ChromiumHealth riskHexavalent chromium (Cr-VI) is an IARC Group 1 carcinogen via inhalation, causing lung cancer; trivalent chromium is far less toxic. (IARC, EPA) | 5k lb | — |
Superfund / NPL sites
Federal Cleanup Sites In Luzerne County
Sites on EPA's Superfund National Priorities List, plus deleted sites whose cleanup objectives EPA has finalized. Federal-facility sites (defense, DOE, etc.) are flagged separately. Each link routes to a per-site page.
| Site | City | Status | Federal facility | Primary contaminant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valmont Tce Site (Former - Valmont Industrial Park) | West Hazleton | NPL FINAL | No | 1,1,1-TrichloroethaneHealth riskMethyl chloroform. CNS depressant; ozone-depleting substance phased out under Montreal Protocol. EPA MCL 200 µg/L. (EPA, ATSDR) |
| Foster Wheeler Energy Corp./Church Road Tce | Mountain Top | PROPOSED | No | 1,1,1-TrichloroethaneHealth riskMethyl chloroform. CNS depressant; ozone-depleting substance phased out under Montreal Protocol. EPA MCL 200 µg/L. (EPA, ATSDR) |
| Butler Mine Tunnel | Pittston | DELETED | No | 1,3-DichlorobenzeneHealth riskLimited human-health data; treated as a probable hepatotoxin. (EPA) |
| C & D Recycling | Foster Township | DELETED | No | AntimonyHealth riskInhaled antimony trioxide is an IARC Group 2B possible carcinogen; respiratory and cardiovascular effects from long-term exposure. EPA MCL 6 µg/L. (IARC, EPA) |
Equity context · ACS 2018-2022 · USEPA-clone EJ disparity
Who Lives In Luzerne County
All block groups in Luzerne County County, PA: 325,396 residents. County disparity score for pm2.5 (fine particulate) sits well below the reference (35). Why we surface this →
14.9%
Low-income
22.8%
People of color
5.5%
Under age 5
19.8%
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.29below the national median
- OzoneHealth riskGround-level ozone (smog) inflames the airways. Even short exposures trigger asthma attacks and worsen chronic lung and heart disease.14below 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.28below 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.29below 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.43near the national median
- 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.48near 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.79above the national median
- 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.57near 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.70above 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.47near the national median
- 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.74above the national median
- 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.88in the highest 20% 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.79above the national median
| Indicator | Disparity score | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (fine particulate) | 35 | well below the reference |
| Ozone | 53 | below the reference |
| Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) | 40 | well below the reference |
| Diesel particulate | 37 | well below the reference |
| Toxic releases (RSEI) | 38 | well below the reference |
| Traffic proximity | 54 | below the reference |
| Lead-paint risk (pre-1960 housing) | 87 | below the reference |
| Superfund site proximity | 30 | well below the reference |
| RMP-facility proximity | 77 | below the reference |
| Hazardous-waste site proximity | 52 | below the reference |
| Underground storage tanks | 75 | below the reference |
| NPDES wastewater proximity | 85 | below the reference |
| Drinking-water non-compliance | 31 | well below the reference |
Source: Census ACS 2018-2022 (5-year) + USEPA-clone EJ blockgroup stats (raw indicators + EJ disparity mirror).
Browse
All 14 Luzerne County Cities With TRI Data
Pollution trends and TRI 2024 pages for every tracked city in this county. Alphabetical.
- Briar Creek pollution· 2 facilities
- Conyngham pollution· 0 facilities
- Dallas pollution· 0 facilities
- Duryea pollution· 1 facility
- Freeland pollution· 0 facilities
- Hazleton pollution· 1 facility
- Montandon pollution· 0 facilities
- Mountain Top pollution· 6 facilities
- Nanticoke pollution· 1 facility
- Shavertown pollution· 0 facilities
- West Hazleton pollution· 2 facilities
- West Wyoming pollution· 1 facility
- White Haven pollution· 0 facilities
- Wilkes-Barre pollution· 1 facility
Sources.
- EPA Toxics Release Inventory · retrieved 2026-05-07.
All sources are federal public-domain datasets under 17 USC §105. We aggregate but do not relabel; the underlying observations remain attributable to EPA.