Petty’s Island, a 300-acre island in the Delaware River between Philadelphia’s east side and Camden’s Beideman neighborhood, is on a path to environmental renewal, writes Isabella Darcy for the Delaware Currents.

Though not open to the public today, the island was not always desolate. For hundreds of years, it was a place where people lived, farmed, and worked. Over time, it became an industrial and international commerce hub. Eventually, it was purchased by the company now known as CITGO, which used it for storing and refining petroleum products.

The company offered to donate the island to New Jersey in the early 2000s, but the offer was initially rejected. Years later, the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Natural Lands Trust accepted it on the condition that CITGO would work to remove any contamination from the island.

The island was originally slated to open as a state urban wildlife preserve by 2020, but environmental remediation is still ongoing. Once that work is complete, the island will officially transfer to New Jersey and be designated as a preserve.

While the island remains closed to the public, visitors can access it through scheduled programs, including private tours and organized clean-up efforts.

Read more about the history and potential future of Petty’s Island in the Delaware Currents.

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