Prayer Tour of Superfund Sites—September 30, King of Prussia

Posted at http://www.creationjustice.org/blog/superfund-prayer-tour-near-philadelphia-pennsylvania

Who:      National Religious Partnership for the Environment, Creation Justice Ministries, Lutherans Restoring Creation, Green Chalice Ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Orthodox Fellowship of the Transfiguration

What:   Prayer Tour of Superfund Sites

When:    Saturday, September 30, 2017 at 11:00am

Where: Valley Forge Acres Park in King of Prussia 

This Saturday, please join a gathering of various faith communities will engage in a Superfund Prayer Tour. We will pray over two of the dozens of toxic Superfund sites in eastern Pennsylvania which are currently under the management of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The Tour is the final in a series of three, following one in Bridgeton, Missouri on September 23 and one in Dayton, Ohio on September 24.

As the EPA follows its course of clean-up and pollution mitigation, major public health concerns can be averted. That is under threat if major federal budget cuts to the EPA take effect.  According to the landmark Toxic Waste and Race study by the United Church of Christ, communities of color are most likely to live near toxic sites, contributing to racial disparities in health problems such as asthma and cancer. This public prayer group will be led by Protodeacon Sergei Kapral of the Orthodox Church in America and Rev. Louis Tillman of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Colgate, PA.

Upon gathering and receiving a briefing, participants will visit two locations and pray for continued stewardship of the land, water and neighbors impacted. The prayer tour will conclude in the midst of lunch hour at the commercial park at 2200 Renaissance Blvd in the Upper Merion Township. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover how the EPA has ensured a safe place for businesses to operate after quarry operations ceased and continues to monitor their working environment to ensure their safety and the well-being of local residents.

Additional information regarding each Superfund site on the tour:

Stanley Kessler Superfund Site
The 3-acre Stanley Kessler Superfund site is located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. A welding wire degreasing and repackaging business operated on site from the 1960s to 2000. During operations, site operators improperly disposed of solvent degreasers. In 1979, sampling detected contaminants in the Upper Merion Reservoir, a source of drinking water for the area. EPA added the site to the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1983. Cleanup included groundwater treatment. Groundwater treatment and monitoring are ongoing. Two tenants continue to operate industrial facilities on site.
As of December 2016, EPA had data on one on-site business. This business employed 20 people and generated an estimated $10,530,000 in annual sales revenue.

Crater Resources, Inc./Keystone Coke Co./Alan Wood Steel Co. Superfund site
The Crater Resources, Inc./Keystone Coke Co./Alan Wood Steel Co. Superfund site is located in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania. The 95-acre area consists of four inactive quarries. Beginning in 1919, Alan Wood Steel Company disposed of wastes generated by its coking facility in three of the quarries. In 1977, Keystone Coke Company purchased the Alan Wood Steel Company and continued to dispose of wastes at the site until 1980. Site investigations identified contaminated wastes, liquids, soil and sediment in the quarries. Groundwater was also contaminated. EPA placed the site on the National Priorities List (NPL) in 1992. Cleanup activities required removal of contaminated soil and sediment and capping. Groundwater monitoring and some cleanup activities are ongoing. A commercial office park is located on site. As of December 2016, EPA had data on 62 on-site businesses. These businesses employed 3,083 people and generated an estimated $733,261,984 in annual sales revenue.