West Philadelphia
Background
West Philadelphia is a vibrant and diverse region of Philadelphia lying west of the Schuylkill River. West Philadelphia includes the University of Pennsylvania, as well as 200,000 residents. The population in West Philadelphia is majority black (76%), with significant populations of Afro-Caribbean/Caribbean American residents, as well as a growing number of African immigrants. West Philadelphia has been industrial and residential throughout its history, leading to environmental concerns as industrial sites are abandoned.
Hazard Profile
West Philadelphia’s aging housing stock, mostly built before 1950, has deteriorating infrastructure posing ongoing environmental health hazards, including lead paint, mold, and asbestos exposure. Brownfields, abandoned past industrial sites, are an ongoing issue in West Philadelphia.
Southwest Philadelphia is overburdened with auto shops and junkyards. These sites repair, maintain, and dismantle cars, which involves welding, sanding, painting, and using toxic, flammable materials. Junkyard fires, which release toxic fumes into the air, are a significant risk for this community. The presence of these auto sites in residential areas pose health and environmental hazards to residents.
CEC Activities
The CEC has long standing relationships with community organizations in West Philadelphia, including the Overbrook Environmental Education Center, Clean Water Action, and the Southwest CDC. We are also engaged in West Philadelphia through the Academically Based Service Courses at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships.
Living Safely with Lead
There has been a resurgence of urban gardening in West Philadelphia and this has led to concerns about the safety of the soil. The CEC has engaged residents in lead soil testing and expanded their understanding of all the sources of lead. The CEC is working with Clean Water Action to engage residents through Community Development Corporations around Philadelphia to hold webinars and in person meetings called ‘Living Safely with Lead.’ The CEC GIS mapped our soil lead data and designed tools to collect soil and understand the lead soil levels.
Visit our Lead Page for more information.
Community Science Project
The CEC is collaborating with the Overbrook Environmental Education Center on their Community Science Project. This project aims to increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental issues and help residents make informed decisions and take responsible action in the community. The CEC helped assess the lead risk in 10 vacant lots in West Philadelphia. CEC recruited and trained 10 students (undergraduate and graduate students from Penn and Drexel University) on the background of lead in Philadelphia, how to research the historical background of each site to determine previous use, and how to collect and test soil samples for lead. We collected and tested 250 soil samples (25 per lot). The average lead level for all the samples was low, 144 ppm.
Hazards of Autoshops and Junkyards in Southwest Philadelphia
Donna Henry, Executive Director of the Southwest CDC and CEC Stakeholder Advisory Board member, informed the CEC of an ongoing concern in her community around the possible environmental health hazards associated with auto shops and junkyards. The CEC has investigated the locations of auto repair shops and junkyards and their associated environmental hazards in the Elmwood section of Southwest Philadelphia. We identified 65 auto sites in this community alone, 48% of these sites had active citations from the city. We presented our findings to the community and we are continuing to work on this project to identify opportunities to mitigate these environmental health hazards. We engaged with the Health Commissioner on the infectious disease risk (mosquito borne illness) due to improperly stored tires. The CEC also met with the Public Interest Law Center to collaborate further on this project.
Our Partnerships in West Philadelphia
CEC Resources
Explore our resources to find helpful information and programs relevant to the West Philadelphia community. View our Community Resources page to view all our resources.
Environmental Injustices Across the Street
Infographic Infographic illustrating the stark contrast in West Philadelphia compared with Lower Merion, adjacent communities separated by the Philadelphia county border.
Lead Safe Certification of Rental Housing
Testimony Testimony to Philadelphia City Council on March 17, 2019 on their Lead Safe Certification of Rental Housing bill.
Lead Soil Map
GIS Map View our resources on lead, including our lead soil map with over 3,900 soil samples representing 86% of census tracts in Philadelphia.
How to Collect Soil Samples for Lead Testing
Document Written instructions on how to collect soil samples for lead testing.
Lead: It’s Still a Problem (English & Spanish)
Brochure Information on lead, the health effects of lead poisoning, and ways to reduce exposure.
Effects of Lead on Children’s Health
Infographic Infographic on the effects of lead on children’s health.
Is Your Water Pipe Made of Lead?
Infographic Step-by-step guide on how to check if you have lead pipes and ways to reduce exposure to lead through drinking water.
Mandatory Lead Certification for all Philadelphia Contractors
Policy brief Policy brief for establishing a bill in Philadelphia to require all contractors to receive lead safe certification.
Indoor Air Pollution (English & Spanish)
BROCHURE Information on sources of indoor air pollution in the home and how to reduce health effects from indoor air pollution.
Children and Outdoor Pollution (English & Spanish)
BROCHURE Information on outdoor pollution and the potential health outcomes for asthmatic children.Get Involved
Do you live or work in this community and would like to get involved with our work? Please contact us!
Contact Us