Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty announced that the City of Philadelphia will receive $2 million from the state’s Solid Waste Abatement Fund to help clean up an abandoned illegal dump near Philadelphia International Airport.
“City and state officials are committed to working together to facilitate a sound environmental solution for a long-simmering problem. This funding means the site will be cleaned up and the problem will be removed by the end of the year, if not sooner. The administration is pleased to be able to provide the necessary resources to help bring this matter to a conclusion,” Secretary McGinty said.
“This site was recognized by the city last year as becoming a serious and growing problem that needed to be addressed. The state’s financial assistance makes it possible to proceed without delay. This has been a great example of work between the city and state and we appreciate the cooperation of DEP,” Philadelphia’s Managing Director Phil Goldsmith said.
Material dumped at the seven-acre site since 1989 has smoldered and occasionally burst into flames, and has been a frequent source of complaints from people living and working in the immediate area.
At a cost of approximately $2.8 million, the city contracted with Brandenburg Industrial Services Co., Bethlehem, Pa., the lowest responsible bidder, to remove nearly 135,000 cubic yards of debris, quench any fires in the smoldering dump and re-grade the site. The debris largely consists of construction and demolition waste, including soil, wood, bricks, blocks and carpeting.
The company has been preparing a staging area for its initial task of extinguishing the subsurface fire. The city has installed three additional fire hydrants and the Philadelphia Fire Department will oversee that phase of the project, which is beginning this week.