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Franklin Slag Pile (MDC) Proposed for Superfund Hazardous Site List

Release Date: 9/13/2001
Contact Information: David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548 & Ruth Wuenschel, (215) 814-5540

David Sternberg, (215) 814-5548 & Ruth Wuenschel, (215) 814-5540

PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today proposed to add the Franklin Slag Pile site in Philadelphia, Pa. to the Superfund National Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites.

Elsewhere in the mid-Atlantic region, EPA also proposed to add the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Yard site near Baltimore, Md., and finalized the addition of the Valmont TCE site near Hazleton, Pa. and the Watson Johnson Landfill near Quakertown, Pa. Nationwide, EPA is adding 17 sites to the NPL and proposing to add another 11 sites.

The NPL is a national list of sites where contaminants have impacted or might impact public health or the environment. NPL sites undergo a thorough investigation of the nature and extent of the contamination. EPA or the parties responsible for the contamination then take appropriate actions to address whatever risks the sites pose.

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 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.

The proposal to add the site to the NPL begins a 60-day public comment period, during which time the public may provide comments or additional information about the site. EPA will then respond to the public’s input, and if there are no errors in the proposal, the site will be added to the list. The public comment period begins September 13 and ends November 13. Public comments must be submitted in writing, including an original plus three copies, to: Docket Coordinator, U.S. EPA Headquarters, CERCLA Docket Office, Mail Code 5201G, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460.

Documents related to the NPL proposal may be reviewed at the Richmond Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, located at Indiana Ave. and Almond St. in Philadelphia. The proposal documents are also available for review at the EPA Region III Superfund docket in Philadelphia. For additional information, please contact the Region III docket at (215) 814-5364. Some proposal documents are also available on the Internet at www.epa.gov/superfund/new/newnpl.

EPA will hold a public meeting about the proposal to add the Franklin Slag Pile (MDC) site to the NPL on Tuesday, September 25 at 7:00 pm, at the Samuel Recreation Center, located at 3539 Gaul St. (one block north of Tioga Ave.) in Philadelphia. For more information about this meeting, please contact Ruth Wuenschel, community involvement coordinator, at (215) 814-5540.