Rep. Summer Lee Applauds EPA Groundwater Testing Near MAX Environmental Landfill Following Community Advocacy

PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 19, 2026 - Today, Congresswoman Summer L. Lee (PA-12)announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will begin sampling residential drinking water wells near the MAX Environmental Technologies landfill in Yukon, Pennsylvania, starting in Spring 2026.

The testing comes after sustained advocacy from local residents and Rep. Lee, who visited hazardous waste sitesoperated by MAX Environmental Technologies and held a listening session with community memberswhose lives have been upended by decades of toxic pollution, elevating their concerns and pushing federal agencies to act on potential groundwater contamination and public health risks.

"Residents in Yukon and surrounding communities have been raising concerns about their water and their health for years, and they deserve answers," said Rep. Lee. "When I visited Yukon, I walked the waterways and toured the hazardous waste sites alongside residents who have been fighting for their community for decades. I sat with families who have been living with uncertainty, fear, and the real consequences of toxic pollution. This moment belongs to them. Their organizing, their persistence, and their refusal to be ignored made this possible. This EPA action is a direct result of that advocacy, and it is an important step toward transparency, accountability, and environmental justice."

According to the EPA, the sampling will be conducted at no cost to residents and will take approximately 30 to 60 minutes per home. Results will be sent confidentially to homeowners, and the agency will determine whether additional action is necessary to protect public health and the environment.

The investigation comes amid ongoing federal scrutiny of the MAX Environmental site. A 2023 EPA inspection identified multiple violations of the Clean Water Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and in 2024, EPA ordered the company to address hazardous waste risks and return to compliance.

Rep. Lee previously visited the Yukon community to hear directly from residents and witness conditions firsthand. More information on that visit is available here.

EPA has begun notifying residents identified for sampling and is distributing additional informationabout how to participate, including access agreements required for testing.

Congresswoman Summer Lee serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Education and Workforce. Since taking office in January 2023, shehas delivered historic levels of federal investment totaling over $2.7 Billionbrought back to Western PA, including over $580 million for infrastructure, over $110 million for affordable transit, over $500 million to keep clean energy manufacturing at home in Pennsylvania, and over $55 million on clean energy efforts in and around schools to help keep our kids and communities safe. These investments will help improve Western Pennsylvania's infrastructure and transit, ensure cleaner air and drinking water, lower housing costs, fund research institutions, fuel clean manufacturing, fund STEM innovation and entrepreneurship, boost workforce development, and create thousands of good paying union jobs.  Lee and her team have also delivered casework and constituent services to over 4,000 constituents with issues ranging from helping our seniors and disabled community access Medicare and social security to helping folks secure housing and helping families with immigration support and passports.