The Franklin Slag Pile sits near Delaware and Castor avenues, a few blocks from the Delaware River and close to homes. Excavation began in early October, after years of planning. The EPA estimates the material could be removed by fall 2027, potentially ahead of schedule.

Slag is the stony waste left over from metal smelting. MDC Industries processed slag at the site from 1950 to 1999, receiving material from neighboring Franklin Smelting and Refining Corp. and selling it for uses including sandblasting and construction. The EPA added the property to the Superfund list in 2002, after sampling found high concentrations of metals, including lead, in nearby air. Before the agency became involved, slag had spread onto sidewalks, roads and storm drains that empty into the river.

The property is owned by New Jersey-based Franco Realty. Companies responsible for the contamination are legally required to pay for the cleanup. The EPA is working with the Army Corps of Engineers and Sevenson, the environmental remediation contractor.

To keep dust from becoming airborne, crews wet the slag as they uncover and remove it. Large misting devices spray water over the work area. Four air monitors are positioned around the site, with a fifth in a lot beside the nearest home on Castor Avenue. If readings exceed 150 micrograms of dust per cubic meter, workers receive an alert and operations must stop. Workers also wear personal air monitors.

Those monitors measure particles 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller. Kris Zierold, a public health professor at the University of Mississippi, said monitoring smaller particles is also important because particles 2.5 micrometers or smaller can travel deeper into the lungs. “The smaller particles are what do more damage to our body,” Zierold said.

Crews remove the waste in sections of about 50 cubic yards and treat it with a chemical solution intended to reduce leaching. Samples are tested by an independent third party. Material that passes testing is sealed for transport and taken to a landfill. Woodchip-filled fabric barriers line storm drains and fencing to help stop contaminated material from washing off-site during rain.

The cleanup has also brought new attention to a site some neighbors say they did not know was there. Doris Lynch, president of Port Richmond Neighborhood Action, said she learned about the pile only after the EPA began planning its removal. She shares updates with neighbors through the group’s social media, noting that many residents have little time to follow developments while working and managing household needs.

Kristen Scalise, who moved to Port Richmond in 2021, said some residents grew up around the pile and may not see it as an immediate concern. At a community meeting she attended, she said, residents wanted clear notice if air conditions became unsafe. “We want a Paul Revere running through the streets saying, ‘Close your windows. The air is not safe,’” Scalise said.

The EPA has provided online updates and held in-person and virtual meetings. Its next public meeting is scheduled for Nov. 18, and residents can sign up for email updates through the agency. Lynch said she has been pleased with the EPA’s willingness to answer questions.

The extent of contamination beneath the pile may not be clear until the slag is removed. EPA data indicate soil contamination deeper than two feet does not exceed the agency’s cleanup threshold; the soil will be tested again as crews reach that depth, with more excavation if needed. Andrew Haneiko, the EPA’s remedial project manager, said the agency hopes the cleanup will prepare the property for future redevelopment.