Sitkin Smelting and Refining, Inc. - 1968-1978 dated Mining Stock Certificate

Stock printed by Security-Columbian Banknote Company. Uncancelled and not negotiable.

Sitkin Smelting and Refining, Inc., an industrial company, operated a smelting and precious metals reclamation facility on a 115-acre site in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, from 1958 to 1977. Their operations involved processing industrial waste to recover precious and base metals, leading to the contamination of soil, sediments in Jacks Creek, and groundwater with hazardous chemicals like lead, copper, zinc, cadmium, PCBs, and dioxins. In 1977, the company declared bankruptcy, and most of its property was subsequently purchased by Joseph Krentzman & Sons for scrap recycling operations. However, a portion of the site is currently used for an aluminum recycling facility and metal scrap yard.

Recognizing the significant contamination, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) as a Superfund site on October 4, 1989. Following extensive cleanup efforts, including the consolidation and capping of contaminated materials and the implementation of institutional controls like deed restrictions, the EPA began ongoing operation and maintenance activities. The EPA conducts comprehensive five-year reviews to ensure the implemented remedies remain protective of human health and the environment. The next review is expected to be completed by March 2026. As a precautionary measure, a fish consumption advisory remains in place for certain fish species in the adjacent Jacks Creek.