Soil at McDonald's site reveals contaminants

After more than a year of community controversy over the construction of the new McDonald's at 43rd and Market streets, the fast food restaurant will now open later than planned due to contaminated soil found on the site. Demolition of the existing building began last fall and construction of the new building has halted until the soil test results are fully analyzed. The contaminant has already been identified as tetrachloroethylene, a dry cleaning fluid, but the quantity has not yet been disclosed. Due to the contamination, the restaurant will not be ready for its original opening date, which was set for early June. "We're just in a holding pattern. We've been removing people from [the] site," John McGrath, the project manager for the construction company building the restaurant, said. Once construction begins, the building will take about 120 days to complete. According to McGrath, though, construction will be held up for at least five weeks. After the asbestos found in the demolished building was abated, McDonald's began brainstorming possibilities for the removal of the chemicals on the site. The options range from removing the soil and filling in the hole with new dirt, to utilizing a vapor extraction system. The time line for the opening will depend on "which option is most viable," McDonald's Philadelphia Real Estate Manager Frank Marciano said. Marciano also said the contamination was not dangerous to neighbors. "It does not impose a public safety hazard at all unless they go in there and eat large quantities of dirt," Marciano said. Chairman of Penn's Earth and Environmental Science Department Robert Giegengack said that TCE is one of the most commonly found contaminants nationwide. "I don't think it imposes a health risk. If you dug a hole in any place in previously industrialized Philadelphia, you'd find something like that," Giegengack said. "Of the things that are out there, it's not horrible." Still, residents, led by Neighbors Against McPenntrification, have protested the construction of the new franchise, demanding information about the nature of the contaminants. "What's so hard and what's so wrong about telling us what's there, so we can take necessary precautions?" group leader Rev. Larry Falcon said. A report stating that there are contaminants in the soil has been released, but the specific nature and quantity of the contaminants have not been made public. McDonald's representatives say that they will release such a report when the test results are analyzed. Marciano said that the Southeast Regional office of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection was notified of the contamination on February 8 and that the City of Philadelphia knew of the condition as of March 19. McDonald's representatives have addressed concerns on the part of Neighbors Against McPenntrification that the University is involved with the McDonald's project and that the construction of the new restaurant will force the current site at 40th and Walnut streets to shut down. "We have no relationship with U. Penn. Quite candidly, they would love to buy our restaurant at 40th and Walnut streets," said David Murphy, McDonald's vice president for the Philadelphia region. "It's not for sale and it won't be for sale." The 40th and Walnut locale is owned by a different franchisee than the site at 43rd and Market.