City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier said she is “appalled” that DEP didn’t notify Bartram’s Garden staff, the public or city officials, earlier. She is urging the agency to test the contaminants on the trail, remediate the area and explain the lack of notification.
“It’s the job of the government to protect residents from environmental risk,” Gauthier said. “And, the Bartram’s trail is pretty highly used. There are people out there every single day. And if there’s a potentially dangerous substance that has leaked into an area that the public uses, the public needs to be aware of that, so that they can refrain from using it and protect themselves.”
Bartram’s Garden is located in Kingsessing, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Southwest Philadelphia that has historically faced a number of environmental justice concerns.
DEP did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
It’s unclear how much of the chemical spilled, as well as the amount, if any, that reached the river. However, there is no threat to public drinking water, according to the Philadelphia Water Department. Drinking water intakes are located much further upriver.
The Philadelphia Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit inspected the trail and found no threats to air quality or toxic run-off, according to Jeffrey Thompson, Philadelphia Fire Department Commissioner.
According to OSHA, chromium VI (hexavalent) is known to cause cancer and targets the respiratory system, kidneys, liver, skin and eyes. Chromium III is an essential trace element in humans, but chronic exposure may be harmful. The chemical is used in a number of industrial products including inks, paints, dyes, wood preservatives and metal finishing.
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