Defense Logistics Agency 

November 2021 

FACT SHEET 

November 2021 

Former Defense Supply Center Philadelphia 

Philadelphia, PA 

LOCATION AND SITE HISTORY 

The former Defense Supply Center Philadelphia 

(DSCP) is located at 2800 South 20th Street, 

Philadelphia, PA. Owned and operated by the United 

States Department of Defense from 1918 to 1999, the 

DSCP managed procurement and distribution of food, 

clothing, and medical supplies to all branches of the 

armed forces, authorized federal agencies, and foreign 

countries. Production of finished textile products for the 

United States Armed Forces continued at DSCP from 

the 1940s to 1994. In 1993, the Base Realignment and 

Closure (BRAC) Commission recommended closure of 

the DSCP. In 1999, all operations at the facility ceased. 

Earlier environmental investigations in 1987 detected 

light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) or petroleum 

contamination in groundwater at the site. Due to known 

groundwater impacts and resulting remediation efforts, 

air rights at the site, defined as 10 feet below ground 

surface and above, were transferred to the Philadelphia 

Authority for Industrial Development (PAID) in 2001. 

While the United States Army retained the subsurface 

property rights, PAID transferred the air rights for redevelopment opportunities. 

The former DSCP is located in a mixed industrial and 

residential area commonly referred to as Quartermaster 

Plaza. A collection of businesses including retail, whole 

sale, restaurants, and other enterprises now occupy most 

of the former DSCP. A large refinery, closed in 2019, 

is located to the west; to the east, are residential areas; 

to the north, are industrial and commercial facilities. 

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) previously 

owned the former military housing area called Passyunk 

Homes to the south. This property was sold for 

redevelopment, though an office and storage facility are 

still operated by PHA. 

CONTAMINATION AT THE FORMER DSCP 

A LNAPL plume is located in the shallow aquifer below 

the site. The plume extends underneath the Schuylkill 

Expressway, and is present beneath the former Passyunk 

Homes area. Where present, the LNAPL layer resides at 

the water table, which is located at a depth ranging from 

22 feet below ground surface in the center of the former 

DSCP to 12 feet below ground surface in the southern 

portion of the former Passyunk Homes area. LNAPL 

thickness ranges from 6”-1 foot and historically covered 

41 acres at its maximum extent. 

LNAPL REMEDIATION SYSTEMS 

Mobile skimmer pumps were used to remove LNAPL 

floating on the groundwater beginning in 1996. In 1999, 

permanent remediation systems were installed at the 

former DSCP and the former Passyunk Homes. 

In 2005, a vacuum-enhanced skimming (VES) system 

was completed. The VES system generates pressure 

within the recovery well to increase LNAPL recovery 

rates. Petroleum vapors generated through this process 

are collected by the system and destroyed via thermal 

oxidizers located at the treatment system building. 

Operations are regulated by a current air emission 

permit with the City of Philadelphia. 

The skimming system, which began operations in 1996, 

was capable of removing LNAPL from 18 recovery 

wells. The VES configuration enables the recovery of 

LNAPL from up to 46 recovery wells (Note: not all of 

these recovery wells contain recoverable LNAPL as the 

extent of product has reduced over time). 

In 2011, an optimization study assessed the remediation 

strategy to determine if a more effective configuration 

could be used to recover LNAPL. Findings from this 

study were implemented in 2012, and LNAPL recovery 

as soil vapor extraction (SVE) using the VES system 

improved significantly. The VES system was later 

expanded in 2014. Additional recovery wells were 

installed to capture LNAPL from less easily accessible 

zones of the shallow aquifer. The technical team 

continues to optimize remediation efforts. 

In 2019, a biovent and biosparge (BV/BS) pilot study 

started. The BV/BS injects oxygen into the subsurface 

to accelerate the process of LNAPL biodegradation. The 

oxygen stimulates microorganisms in the subsurface 

soil to naturally break down LNAPL. The BV/BS pilot 

study was conducted for an initial 6 months (March 6, 

2019 through September 5, 2019). Several positive 

changes were observed during the study; however, more 

information is needed to assess the effectiveness of the 

technology. The BV-BS system continues to operate 

and is evaluated regularly. 
Defense Logistics Agency 

November 2021 

LNAPL RECOVERY TO DATE 

As of 2020, roughly 1 million gallons of LNAPL have 

been recovered since remediation began. In addition, the 

remaining LNAPL plume is being degraded in place by 

the BS/BV system and the VES system. The LNAPL 

mass degraded in place by bioremediation is tracked by 

monitoring recovery of Carbon Dioxide gas in the VES 

system. Subsurface bioremediation is estimated to have 

removed another 330,000 gallons of LNAPL from the 

site from 2013 through the end of 2020. 

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 

Upon closure of the former DSCP, a community 

involvement plan was developed and community 

outreach evolved over the years as remediation 

progressed. A Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) was 

created to provide communities and individuals affected 

by the LNAPL plume a framework for participating in 

the environmental remediation process. RAB public 

meetings were held on a regular basis, starting in 1996 

through 2011, when RAB members decided meetings 

were no longer needed. 

A Public Involvement Plan (PIP) was developed in 2004 

as part of the remediation efforts. Under the 

Pennsylvania Land Recycling and Environmental 

Standards Act or Act 2 Program, community outreach 

continued with various communications and fact sheets. 

Community involvement for the former DSCP evolved 

to its current form, which consists of providing 

interested stakeholders and property owners impacted 

by the remediation efforts quarterly progress reports. 

Community involvement will continue with outreach to 

the public according to an updated PIP included with the 

submission of the combined Remedial Investigation 

Report and Cleanup Plan (RIR/CP). 

REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION REPORT AND 

CLEANUP PLAN 

In 2017, the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) issued a 

public notice and submitted to the Pennsylvania 

Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) an 

updated Notice of Intent to Remediate (NIR) in 

accordance with the Act 2 Program. The NIR specified 

the combination of site-specific standards and pathway 

elimination for impacted media (soils, groundwater, and 

vapor intrusion) to achieve the release of liability or site 

closure under Act 2. The NIR also provided notice of 

the intent to submit the RIR/CP. 

 

In response to the NIR, the City of Philadelphia Public 

Health Department requested that DLA submit a PIP 

update and conduct a public meeting to allow for public 

involvement in the RIR/CP review. The RIR/CP is 

available for public review and comment via the website 

below. Public comments will be incorporated into a 

revised RIR/CP for approval by PADEP and the United 

States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 

The RIR/CP summarizes data collection at the former 

DSCP since 1996, illustrates the Conceptual Site Model 

(CSM) for all media of concern, and details the 

mitigation strategy for each media of concern. In 

addition, the RIR/CP presents the path forward to 

achieve the release of liability under Act 2 by meeting 

remediation standards defined in the 2017 NIR. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 

An electronic copy of the draft RIR/CP and other 

documents are available for download or review at: 

https://www.dla.mil/HQ/InstallationManagement/Doin

gBusinessWithInstallationManagement/Environmental

Documents/

The RIR/CP is also available for review in-person at 

the Library of Philadelphia: Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr. 

Library at 1935 Shunk Street (Note: copying costs of 

the RIR/CP are subject to the library fee schedule). 

Two virtual public meetings will be held to present the 

RIR/CP to the public. Meeting notices will be posted in 

publicly circulated newspapers and on the website 

above. Please refer to these specific notices for 

additional information on the public meetings. 

Questions or comments concerning the former DSCP 

RIR/CP should be sent via email to the Defense 

Logistics Agency at DLAEnvPC@dla.mil. DLA will not 

accept comments via telephone, U.S. mail, or social 

media platforms at this time. 

Additional information regarding the Act 2 Program 

and other PADEP requirements can be found at: 

https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Land/LandRecycling

/Pages/default.aspx