DEP is still detecting high levels of a carcinogen on Bartram's Garden trail

Portions the public trail at Bartram's Garden are still testing high for hexavalent chromium, a chemical known to cause cancer.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection detected the substance in soil samples collected from four spots along the Bartram's Mile Trail on Aug. 13. While some of these samples contained relatively low concentrations of hexavalent chromium, two exceeded the standardized level of 37 mg/kg, a measurement equivalent to parts per million. They measured 57 mg/kg and 62 mg/kg.

DEP officials tested soil from 10 locations in total, including six of the spots they tested in July. That round of testing also found chromium in four samples; the highest reading was 77 mg/kg. The substance was not detected in any of the surface water samples taken from the Schuylkill River.

DEP did not test samples from the Schuylkill River on Aug. 13, but it collected and tested samples from the standing water in a drainage ditch on the property. Both of those water samples exceeded the 37 mg/kg standard for hexavalent chromium.

John Repetz, the deputy director of regional communications for DEP, said the agency was still "in the process of finalizing" an evaluation report on the July and August soil samples. But officials have already instructed the owner of the adjoining property at 51st Street and Botanic Avenue, the source of the chemical contamination, to increase its cleanup efforts.

Bartram's Garden closed the affected section of its public trail in July after a concerned visitor reported a green liquid streaming across the path. Though staffers said this was the first time Bartram's Garden learned of the situation, that same visitor had contacted DEP and the Philadelphia Water Department months earlier. PWD collected material from the site in April and determined it was not a naturally occurring substance. 

DEP had already been coordinating cleanup efforts with the owner of the property, Alliance 51st Street LLC, since 2022. The limited liability company is hoping to redevelop the former fuel oil terminal for nonresidential use. After receiving the visitor's report in April, DEP officials said they asked Alliance 51st Street LLC to find the source of the green discharge. Subsequent testing in June, conducted by the owner and shared with DEP, detected two types of chromium: hexavalent and trivalent, a less toxic form of the substance.

DEP conducted its own testing in July and August, but did not collect samples in September. According to the agency, Alliance 51st Street LLC took its own on Sept. 19 for analysis. DEP plans to review the results, which are pending.

Additionally, DEP says it is conducting regular inspections of the site to ensure compliance with recommended actions. Its last visit on Sept. 4 found no violations.

"DEP is committed to performing bi-weekly inspections and post-severe weather inspections to ensure adequacy of storm water control measures at the site," Repetz wrote in an email. "DEP is also participating in regular update calls with stakeholders from the city, and will keep the web page updated with the most current data to keep Pennsylvanians informed about progress at the site."

Bartram's Garden said the impacted portion of the trail will "remain closed until all contaminants are removed from the landscape." Free public fishing, boating and biking programs have resumed following DEP's testing, as these activities present "very low risk for exposure" to hexavalent chromium. The Saturday boating program, however, has closed until 2025 due to "an unforeseen staffing disruption."

This article was updated with additional information on future testing from DEP.

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