U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
American	Street
Northern	Liberties,
September 2006
Community Update
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is conducting an environmental
assessment in your neighborhood. EPA expects to be working in your area during the month of
September. Earlier this year, EPA received complaints concerning soils that may have been
mismanaged during a recent redevelopment project in the neighborhood. The project was
conducted between George, American, Bodine, and Wildey Streets at the site of the former
American Street Tannery.
EPA Environmental Assessment
Soil samples will be collected in the vicinity
of Wildey Street to see if they pose a threat to
human health. Additional soil samples will be
collected at Liberty Lands Community Park to
ensure that conditions at the park have not
changed since the park was established in
1996. At that time, EPA responded to a
request from the Northern Liberties Neighbors
Association and sampled property at the 913
rd
N 3 Street location that is now the park.
EPA, in conjunction with the Agency for
Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR), then assured the residents that it
was safe to develop the property into a park
and community garden.
EPA's upcoming assessment will include the
following tasks:
•	Collection of surface soil samples (0 to 3
inches below ground surface) at a number of
properties adjacent to the former American
Street Tannery site.
•	Collection of four surface soil composite
samples (0 to 3 inches below ground surface)
at the Liberty Lands Community Park and
Playground.
•	Collection of subsurface soil, groundwater,
and soil gas samples (using a Geoprobe) at a
number of properties adjacent to the former
American Street Tannery site. At several of
the properties, samples of each type will be
taken from the same spot.
•	Collection of water samples from basement
sumps in two residences visited by EPA in
June 2006 and observed to contain water at
that time.
All samples collected will be packaged and
shipped to a laboratory approved by EPA's
Contract Laboratory Program (CLP). This
program ensures that the laboratories are
capable of sampling for the contaminants of
concern and that they use sound testing
methods and equipment.
All surface soil samples will be analyzed for
Target Compound List (TCL) semi-volatile
organic compounds (SVOC), pesticides, PCB,
target analyte list (TAL) metals, and cyanide;

-------
All subsurface soil samples will be analyzed All soil gas samples will be analyzed for
for TCL volatile organic compounds (VOC); VOCs by Method TO-15.
All shallow groundwater samples will be
analyzed for TCL VOCs;
For More Information

Visit the website online at:
www. epaosc .net/americanstreettannerv

Or contact an EPA representative:

Carrie Deitzel, Community Involvement Coordinator
deitzel. carried, epa. gov
(215) 814-5525
Marcos Aquino, On-Scene Coordinator, for Removal
aquino.marcos(fl),epa. gov
activities (215) 814-3422

-------