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Franklin Slag Pile Added to Superfund Hazardous Site List

Release Date: 9/4/2002
Contact Information: David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548

David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548

PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will finalize the addition of the Franklin Slag Pile in Philadelphia, Pa. to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites tomorrow, September 5.

The NPL is a national list of sites where contaminants have impacted or might impact public health or the environment. NPL sites are required to undergo a thorough assessment of the nature and extent of contamination prior to cleanup by EPA or the responsible parties.

The Franklin Slag Pile site consists of a large pile of metal slag material at Delaware and Castor Avenues in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond section. The slag was generated as a byproduct from copper smelting conducted at the adjacent Franklin Smelter. MDC Industries sold the slag as sand-blasting grit for 40 years until it ceased operations and abandoned the site at the end of 1999.

While MDC Industries was still in operation, material from the slag pile would migrate off the property in all directions, through surface water runoff and blowing wind. The gritty black material could be seen on sidewalks and roads, in storm drains, in wetland areas, and along two rail lines. The slag contains various metals, including lead, beryllium, and copper. During 2000, EPA completed an emergency response action at the site, removing slag that had gone off site and temporarily capping the remaining pile.

Documents related to the site will continue to be available for public review at the Richmond Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, located at Indiana Ave. and Almond St. in Philadelphia.