Questions about Chromlecks that Bartrams Mile Trail closed last year

A real estate developer presented a slide that gathered on Thursday evening through a lot of gathering that gathered during an update for the chrome outflow, which led to the closure of Bartrams Mile Trail for almost a year.

The film showed how the 12 -hectare property of the Alliance 51st Street LLC, a former industrial area in the southwest of Philadelphia, is widespread with hexavalent chrome.

Eric Carlson, the owner of Alliance, told the participants of the public meeting in Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School Fitness studio that no further problems have been discovered since a storm in July 2024 that led to drainage.

Carlson said the company has set up control persons like a Berm to prevent drainage. He said a complete clean-up and renovation plan for ownership, which was presented to the Pennsylvania Ministry in February, is checked.

Carlson said Alliance did not cause contamination, but committed himself to renovation.

“We don't go away; we're here,” said Carlson immediately after the meeting. “We will continue to monitor the website. We are occupied. We own it. We take responsibility.”

“Is that practical?”

The presentation of Alliance left many in the crowd, including council member Jamie Gauthier. Gauthier interviewed company officials about the complete cleanup of the location, which depends on Allianz, who finds a tenant.

Carlson informed the group that Alliance bought the site in the 51st Street and the Botanic Avenue in December 2021 as part of a speculative difference in the development of a 165,000 square meter warehouse. But the market has changed, said Carlson. From now on he is looking for a tenant before something is built.

Alliance's full clearance plan is only implemented if the website is developed. This is because the plan depends on the hard surfaces of the building, the parking spaces and other structures, which are to be used as veiling to seal the floor. The plan also includes A rainwater collection system.

Gauthier repeatedly questioned the Alliance team according to their approach.

“I don't think it has been crystallized for me until tonight, that your renovation plan is based on whether you will find a tenant,” said Gauthier. “Is that practical for the community? There must be a renovation plan and it cannot be dependent on the market for organic sciences.”

In the meantime, Maitreyi Roy, Executive Director of Bartram's Garden, the oldest surviving botanical garden in North America, said that Bartrams Trail, a 1.5-mile path that leads to the garden, would not open until it no longer represents a threat from the city's health department.

It is also concerned about possible contaminated water that moves underground. She was confident that the path could soon be opened.

“Read more: Bartram's garden closes the path nearby for “potential chemical contamination” nearby

The chrome was found at four locations on the spot last summer The trail and Alliance officers informed the crowd that Chromium in the area was probably widespread as part of Fill. The chrome existing on the property of Alliance was there at least 100 years, said company officials.

The company was not aware of this when the country bought it.

Larry Brunt, an environmental advisor who worked with Alliance, warned that Chrome in the ground could be outside the company's ownership, since the chemical element was often used as a filling.

The drainage

The meeting on Thursday by Alliance was held to update the residents about what was documented after at least two documented chrome drains of the former industrial property last year.

In April 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) initially realized that chrome may escape from the location. Andy Switzer in the city initially reported “a green drain” from the property, which is historically known as 51st Street Terminal.

Subsequently, the adjacent Bartram's Garden Trail was closed on the banks of the Schuylkill in the southwest of Philadelphia in July 2024 when a yellowish drain with hexavalent chrome in rainwater drain was found again by a former industrial location on the way.

Bartram's garden officials closed the trail and called him “a developing and potentially dangerous situation”, since chrome is a well -known human carcinogen.

The trail, a segment of the Schuylkill River Trail, runs along the river and is widespread by cyclists, runners and hikers and as an access route for anglers.

History of contamination

The property next to a rail bridge has a long history of industrial use and contamination. Once a wetland, it was covered with filling, as was a nearby stream.

Before 1923, the property was used by a cabinet manufacturer for wood storage. Between 1951 and 1975, ten above -ground fuel bearing tanks were built, and the location was sold several times over the decades.

Alliance bought it from PBF logistics in December 2021. The Alliance 51st Street is based in Alliance HP in Bryn Mawr, a real estate investment company.

The warehouse tanks were dismantled and the alliance was inscribed in the voluntary cleanup of the DEP of Act 2. According to Alliance, there are organic compounds and leads. Some soil contains fleeting organic compounds, semiVolatile organic compounds and lead. It was found that the groundwater exceeds the state limits for benzene and lead.

Tests showed that water that flowed from the property, chrome and hexavalentes chrome in 2024 most likely out of the filling. Chromium, a by -product of the processing of chrome ore, was once used as a filling.

Dep official confirmed that Chroma was present at four locations in July 2024 or outside of Bartram's mile, but said that the public was not at risk. However, the path is closed as a precaution.

“Read more: Excessive chromium levels, a toxin, have been found along a part of Bartrams Mile Trail, which has now been closed, as tests show

“It is worrying”

Switzer, who for the first time reported that he had seen the alliance of the Allianz property on Thursday evening, and said he saw how dust escaped the property there during work. Officials said they would make sure that a dust control plan would be followed.

Russel Zerbo, a lawyer of the Clean Air Council, found during the meeting that the DEP listed several violations that found its inspectors after the drains on site. Carlson said that the violations did not lead to fines and that he “would make sure that we take care of these actions”.

And the local Emily Goddard said that she was still concerned about the ability of Alliance to monitor the site after the company's officials tested visually after storms.

“Bartram's garden is a place that I go frequently,” said Goddard, “so it's about using only visual inspection.”