Mid-Atlantic Superfund

EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic)

Pennsylvania
Philadelphia County
Philadelphia

EPA ID# PASFN0305549

3rd Congressional District

Last Update: November 2009

Other Names

None

Current Site Status

The Environmental Protection Agency has stabilized the Franklin Slag Pile site so that there is no current threat to the community or the environment. The slag pile is covered with a thick plastic cover to prevent any slag material from blowing off the property. A security fence is also in place to prevent trespassing or vandalism. New signs were added in the fall of 2007 based on the community's request.

The site was added to the National Priorities List of most hazardous waste sites in the country in September 2002, allowing EPA to devote federal resources toward the investigation and cleanup plan. EPA completed a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) in June 2007. EPA proposed a RCRA cap as the remedy for the Franklin Slag Pile site in July 2007. The comment period on EPA's clean-up plan ended in November 2007. EPA will issue a final remedy in a Record of Decision (ROD) in 2009.

Site Description

The Franklin Slag Pile Site is located at the intersection of Castor and Delaware Avenues in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia. It is located near the Tioga Marine Terminal along the Delaware River and Interstate 95 in a commercial/industrial area. The site consists of a covered slag pile containing an estimated 68,000 cubic yards of slag material; a by-product from the copper smelter at the neighboring Franklin Smelting and Refining Corporation. MDC, the operator of the site from the 1950s to 1999, sold the slag as sand blasting grit.

Site Responsibility

EPA is taking the lead to investigate the site and develop a cleanup plan. If parties who were potentially responsible for the contamination are discovered, they may contribute to the cleanup.

NPL Listing History

This site was placed on the National Priorities List on September 5, 2002.

Threats and Contaminants

The slag pile contains numerous metals including aluminum, beryllium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, and lead. Before EPA covered the pile, slag routinely blew off the site and during rain or snow storms slag was present in run-off and in storm drains that lead to the adjacent river. The slag pile is now covered with a thick plastic material to prevent any slag from blowing off the property. A security fence and signs are also in place to prevent trespassing or vandalism.

Cleanup Progress

From January through October 2000, EPA conducted an emergency cleanup of the property which consisted of 1) shipping slag and soil off-site for disposal; 2) cleaning and dismantling equipment, buildings and structures; and 3) transporting fuels and oils off-site for re-use. EPA also covered the slag pile with a thick plastic material and fenced the entire property. In all, EPA removed over 12,000 tons of contaminated soil and slag, 246 tons of hazardous debris, and 20 tons of bagged slag.

EPA added the site to the National Priorities List of most hazardous waste sites in the country in September 2002, allowing EPA to devote federal resources toward investigating and developing a cleanup plan for the site. EPA completed a Remedial Investigation and Feasibility Study (RI/FS) in June 2007. EPA proposed a RCRA cap as the clean-up for the Franklin Slag Pile site in July 2007. The comment period on EPA's clean-up plan ended in November 2007. EPA has reviewed the public comments on the proposed remedy of the slag pile. EPA plans to issue a final remedy selection in a Record of Decision (ROD) in 2009.

Contacts

Site Contacts