DEP To Hold Public Meeting Nov. 16 On Remediation Of Former Lead Smelter Site In Philadelphia

The Department of Environmental Protection Friday announced it will hold a public meeting November 16 on a remediation plan for the former Anzon lead smelter site in the Kensington/ Port Richmond area of Philadelphia.

The meeting will be held at the First Presbyterian Church in Kensington, 418 E. Girard Avenue in Philadelphia with doors opening at 6:00 p.m. and the meeting starting at 6:30.

DEP entered into a Consent Order and Agreement (CO&A) with Port Richmond Dev., L.P. and its affiliates (PR Dev) to address unacceptable levels of lead in soil at the former lead smelter site.

To address contamination on six of the eight parcels that comprise the Anzon site, the CO&A requires PR Dev to submit a Work Plan to DEP within 45 days that describes how the exposure pathway will be eliminated. This must be achieved by capping areas with two feet of clean fill or with asphalt.

The Work Plan will also include a Health and Safety Plan and Air Monitoring Plan for protecting the public from any contaminants that could be encountered during construction activities.

In response to July media reports indicating elevated levels of lead on a soil mound located at 2535 Aramingo Avenue, DEP collected soil samples dispersed across the Anzon footprint.

Results from three separate sampling events show lead levels of concern not just on the soil mound, but across the entire site.

The parcel containing the soil mound is being addressed by the current tenant of the property. The tenant has submitted plans to DEP stating it will remove the soil mound and replace it with two feet of clean fill.

The remaining property, located at 2500 Aramingo Avenue, is being addressed separately by a second property owner.  

“We are ensuring that the responsible property owners and lessee select and implement a remedy that is fully protective of those who live near or use the site and do so as quickly as possible,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “We have also been working closely with our federal and local partners on this issue and thank them for their cooperation.”

Lead smelting is the process by which lead is processed into a pure state that can then be used for industrial and commercial purposes. Historically, lead was commonly used in plumbing, gasoline, paints, and ammunition. It has since been phased out of most products.

Click Here for a map of the Anzon footprint, which shows DEP’s sampling locations and results.

The site is bounded by Huntington Street to the northeast, E.Thompson Street to the southeast, E. Cumberland Street to the southwest, and Almond Street to the northwest, with Aramingo Avenue running through the center

Questions should be directed to Virginia Cain, DEP Southeast Regional Office, at 484-250-5808 or send email to: vicain@pa.gov.
(Photo: DEP lead sampling results on the Anzon site.)
NewsClip:
State Confirms Extreme Lead Levels In Kensington Soil