Whitpain Township: Environmental Testing Planned At Mermaid Property

Press release from the Whitpain Township:

September 10, 2021

Since purchasing the Mermaid property last year, the Township has been busy planning for future uses at the property.  As part of this process, Township consultants have evaluated and tested the property for potential environmental concerns. Since the property was used as a golf course for many decades, the consultants advised that putting greens and tee boxes may have elevated levels of arsenic and mercury because these substances were ingredients in various fertilizers and pesticides that were common years ago.

When conducting this testing, the consultants uncovered elevated mercury and arsenic levels in the soils on several tee boxes and putting greens as well as one former fairway. The elevated levels were identified in samples collected from the surface to two feet below the surface. Moving forward, further tests will occur over the next 60-90 days to ensure that there is no additional contamination on the site and to determine the best means of remediation.

Since the contaminants are located beneath existing vegetation, there is currently little risk of exposure and no need to close the park or limit public access to the site. The situation will not hamper the planning process and the ultimate development of the site into a premier recreational facility.

This press release was produced by the Whitpain Township. The views expressed here are the author’s own.