Former Petroleum Product Terminal

1630 – 1646 SOUTH 51ST STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

Project Information

The Former Petroleum Product Terminal property is in Philadelphia County, in the City of Philadelphia. Alliance 51st Street LLC acquired the property from PBF Logistics Terminals LLC (PBF Logistics) in December 2021. The site primarily operated as a petroleum product terminal (from approximately 1951 to 2021). Historically, the property also was used for lumber storage (in 1923 prior to development), and as a cardboard container manufacturer (from approximately 1923 to 1945). Fifteen aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) were constructed at the property between 1951 and 1975 and contained petroleum products. The ASTs, loading racks, and associated piping were removed as part of the AST closure activities and the tank foundations, concrete and soil containment berms, and miscellaneous buildings have been removed as part of the redevelopment activities. During redevelopment activities, some of the mounded onsite soil was spread across the property as part of the grading of site.

Organic compounds and lead are present in site media, primarily associated with the former use of the property as a fuel oil terminal. Soil borings in the former AST and piping area identified exceedances of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) soil Medium Specific Concentrations (MSCs) for volatile organic compounds, semivolatile organic compounds, and lead. Groundwater samples from permanent monitoring wells have exceedances of groundwater MSCs for benzene and lead associated with the former terminal operations.

In April 2024, the Philadelphia Water Department responded to a report of yellow-colored water leaving the site, near the Bartram’s Garden Mile Trail. Upon further investigation it was determined that the water contained chromium and hexavalent chromium. From a review of historical materials, the presence of chromium onsite is due to the historical placement of fill across a portion of the site in the early 1900s. Alliance has taken measures to eliminate any chromium from leaving the site. Further, as determined by sampling by Alliance and PADEP sampling and analysis, chromium and hexavalent chromium are present offsite in soils at locations not related to or impacted by the site, indicating historical filling beyond the limits of the site.