COUNCILMEMBER GAUTHIER ISSUES STATEMENT ON POTENTIAL TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION AT BARTRAM’S GARDEN, DEMANDS ACTION

PHILADELPHIA – After learning that runoff containing total chromium, chromium III (trivalent), and chromium VI (hexavalent) likely leaked into Bartram’s Garden and the Schuylkill River from a former industrial property, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District) issued the following statement:

“On Monday a constituent alerted my office that toxic chemicals from the former Plains Oil Site potentially made their way into Bartram’s Garden and the Schuylkill River. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection informed my office that there is no immediate risk to our drinking water because this site is downstream from the water collection point.

“However, I was appalled and angered to learn that state and local agencies were made aware of the possible contamination in April but did not notify my office, Bartram’s Garden, or any Southwest Philadelphia neighbors. If a constituent did not bring this to our attention, we would not have known and would have been unable to take any action.

“This week my office in partnership with Bartram’s Garden demanded action from responsible city and state agencies. At our request, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection will conduct more testing on Bartram’s Mile Trail to identify the potential concentrations of detected chemicals and take proper remediation measures. In the meantime, I strongly urge all Southwest neighbors to stay off the closed section of the trail and to refrain from fishing and kayaking.

“This community has wrongfully been the region’s dumping ground for decades. This potential toxic chemical contamination is just the latest example in a long history of environmental harm inflicted on Southwest. The fact that for months government failed to act in any way to either understand or clean up any chemicals spilled into this beloved community resource is an injustice. I will be working to understand how and where government safeguards and processes broke down, and how we can prevent anything like this from happening again. Southwest deserves answers and accountability, and I intend to get it.”

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Councilmember Jamie Gauthier is the District Councilmember for this area as well as the Chair of City Council’s Environmental Committee.