The Main Acreage site of the Benjamin Rush State Park was cleared of more than 135 tons of trash, concrete, wood, tires, and scrap metal in late November and early December, 2001.
With temperatures in the high 60s, 49 volunteers donated 196 hours of time to bag trash December 1, following an equipment cleanup that began November 23. This joint effort is considered Phase One of a two-phase cleanup, with Phase Two slated for spring 2002.
Joining in the volunteer effort were Benjamin Rush State Park's Community Gardeners, Northeast Philadelphia's Radio Control Club, and Girl Scout and Brownie troops. Donors included Waste Management of Philadelphia, donating hauling and disposal for the volunteer cleanup; Suds Beer Store, providing water and sodas for the volunteers; and Pizza Shop, providing a lunch discount.
Enviro-Air Technologies Inc. of Coopersburg was the contractor for the equipment cleanup and donated a portion of their labor and equipment costs.
Part of the area cleaned had served as a homeless shelter intermittently for more than 15 years. Items removed included blankets, tarps, a shingled roof, numerous glass bottles, lumber, and batteries.
An old house foundation and concrete construction debris amounted to 90 tons of material, trucked to Delaware Valley Recycling Inc. Just over two tons of scrap metal were recycled by Morris Iron & Steel Company, and almost 29 tons of wood and trash were taken to The Forge, GROWS Landfill. Tires gathered from the site amounted to just over 14 tons.
A spring cleanup will also be conducted at the park. If you're interested in helping with the effort, volunteer now!
Benjamin Rush State Park is an undeveloped park, a combination of open spaces and wooded lots in the northeast corner of Philadelphia. It is home to the world's largest community gardens.
The park is named in honor of Benjamin Rush, who was one of the most influential physicians of his time, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and a member of the Continental Congress. He was appointed by President John Adams as treasurer of the U.S. Mint in 1797, a position he held until his death in 1813. He was an advocate for humane treatment of the mentally ill.
Learn about other illegal dump sites in state forests and parks.
This page last updated January 21, 2002.
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