Southwest Philadelphia: Cleaning up Neighborhood Around Northeast Corridor Train Tracks

[Andy Sharpe]

Hi all,

I'm looking to organize a small-scale clean-up for the Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood between 65th and 72nd Sts. and Grays and Paschall Aves on Saturday, July 21st (9-11 AM). As some of you know this neighborhood has problems with both litter and illegal dumping, which is especially pronounced along the Northeast Corridor train tracks that run through this community. Some of the spots that need the most attention are the pocket park at 72nd and Paschall and the blocks by Bartram HS around 66th and Glenmore. Unfortunately, this community has been forgotten about for far too long.

Is anyone here interested in volunteering for the clean-up. Would any of you be willing to help spread the word about it?

If the answer is yes to either question, please reply on here, shoot me a PM, or send me an e-mail at sharpe@dvarp.org.

By the way, I do realize this is not about West Philly or University City. It's the best place I could find to include a Southwest Philly thread.

[the_wza]

Hi Andy, I sent you a private message and I'll follow up with an e-mail. I'm working that day but I might be able to help you find some volunteers.

[Andy Sharpe]

Hi WZA,

Thanks so much for your interest in this! Check your PM box.

[MariusPontmercy]

Maybe we could organize one for along the Media/Elwyn tracks too... although a large amount of the trash is in private back lots...

[seand]

Maybe we could organize one for along the Media/Elwyn tracks too... although a large amount of the trash is in private back lots...

If you are talking about the lot by where 51st bends to become Warrington, I have recurrent nightmares that the rusty 40 gallon barrels in that lot plainly visible from the train tracks are going to turn out to be Super Fund worthy. Its not so much that the owner has turned it to an under-the-radar dead auto yard. Thats fine. But its the stack of barrels which seem to have been strategically stacked as far away from Warrington or 50th as possible (and as result right next to the train tracks).

The long roofed open structure the barrels are tucked under is quite visible from Google Maps satelite images here. It may have been a rairoad freight depot many decades ago.
51st and Warrington maps - Google Maps

[seand]

BTW - if you were to report this to some sort of EPA or state environmental authority, does anyone know how to do that?

[thoth]

The long roofed open structure the barrels are tucked under is quite visible from Google Maps satelite images here. It may have been a rairoad freight depot many decades ago.

It was a coal depot constructed sometime between 1895 and 1910. Track seems to have been disconnected a few decades later.

[seand]

It was a coal depot constructed sometime between 1895 and 1910. Track seems to have been disconnected a few decades later.

Interesting historical tidbit.

I was really hoping on advice on how to rat out those mystery barrels that keep me awake at night.

[Andy Sharpe]

Maybe we could organize one for along the Media/Elwyn tracks too... although a large amount of the trash is in private back lots...

Hi Marius,

I think SEPTA would prefer to clean up the tracks on their own because of liability risk. This is why we're cleaning up the neighborhood around the Northeast Corridor tracks, but won't be able to access the Amtrak property (the majority of the illegally dumped items are on the Amtrak-controlled embankments beside the train tracks). With this clean-up, we're hoping to beautify the neighborhood and give Amtrak more incentive to clean up the embankments.

By the way, just a reminder that the clean-up is this-Saturday morning from 9-11 AM. The weather is actually supposed to be beautiful. Send me a PM if you're interested in helping on Saturday.

[Andy Sharpe]

Hi all,

Just to update everyone, the Southwest Philadelphia clean-up was held this-past Saturday and went fairly well. We had about 10 people come out, which is not bad for a clean-up on a July morning with relatively little advanced notice. We concentrated mostly on 70th to 72nd Sts and filled about 15 bags with litter. There's still a lot of work to be done, but this was a great start. Hopefully, our next steps will be to clean up 65th to 70th Sts. and convince Amtrak to fiiiiinally clean up the embankments beside the Northeast Corridor train tracks that run through the Southwest.

If anyone is interested in helping to organize a future clean-up around 65th-72nd and Grays-Paschall, shoot me a PM.

Andy Sharpe
Communications Director
Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers
1601 Walnut St., Suite 1129
Philadelphia, PA 19102-2913
phone: 215-RAILWAY (215-724-5929)
e-mail: sharpe@dvarp.org

[palvar]

BTW - if you were to report this to some sort of EPA or state environmental authority, does anyone know how to do that?

Report Spills and Environmental Violations | Resources: Protecting the Environment | US EPA

Report an Incident

You can call 311 also. I've reported industrial users dumping chemicals into our stormwater drains and PWD responded within a day (and called me to let me know what happened!). Good luck.

[seand]

Report Spills and Environmental Violations | Resources: Protecting the Environment | US EPA

Report an Incident
You can call 311 also. I've reported industrial users dumping chemicals into our stormwater drains and PWD responded within a day (and called me to let me know what happened!). Good luck.

I'll look from the Warrington pedestrian bridge to confirm the barrels are still there before I report it I think but thanks.