Officials have revealed more details on the recently discovered water and soil contamination along the banks of the Schuylkill River in the area adjacent to Bartram’s Garden and Bartram’s Mile Trail in Southwest Philly.

The initial report on potential toxic chemical contamination as a result of a leak from a now closed industrial facility was released last month by City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, but now authorities have confirmed that the area had been contaminated with excessive levels of toxins like hexavalent chromium, arsenic, and lead. The information was presented at Wednesday’s virtual town hall meeting hosted by State Rep Regina Young and Senator Anthony Williams (read more about this here).

While authorities have been working to remediate the contamination, the affected section of the trail has been closed and riverfront and trail activities at Bartram’s Garden have been cancelled since mid-July. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Philadelphia Water Department, there is no threat to the public at this time, but boating, fishing and biking at Bartram’s will remain suspended until further notice.

As monitoring of the site continues, both the officials and Bartram’s staff hope that the trail will reopen soon and riverfront activities will resume. For now, please follow updates related to the contamination from Bartram’s here. Also, follow their Facebook page for updates on their programs and activities.