West Penn Township supervisors received an update on the 26 acres of land that was donated for the proposed Atlas Park.

The parcel is near the former Atlas Powder Co., which became ICI Explosives. Hazardous wastes and contaminated soils were removed from the area years ago.

There was a question whether the donated land had been contaminated — and thus, would not be suitable for a park.

“We didn’t want to take it if we couldn’t use it for recreation,” supervisors’ Chairman Anthony “Tony” Prudenti explained during a recent meeting.

In recent discussions with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, township Solicitor Paul Datte said he learned that there are no environmental restrictions on the land.

“The bottom line is that this area was never part of the contaminated area to begin with,” Datte said.

Datte said he received a map containing all areas that were treated or being monitored.

“Our area is completely outside that area,” he said. “In fact, there’s even what I would call a little ‘buffer area’ in between that was also not part of that area. So DEP felt comfortable saying ‘We’re good to go.’ ”

Supervisor Glenn Hummel told those at the meeting that the area is part of the former ICI employees’ park next to the Little Schuylkill River.

In July 2020, the supervisors accepted an agreement with resident Dennis D’Angelo, who offered to donate the land at Bella Terra Farms LLC to the township.

The following year, the township received a $242,000 grant to develop the land from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

At the time, officials said the township does not have to put any money toward the matching grant since the amount is the double the value of the donated land.

Supervisors have said that the proposed park will be four times the size of the township’s Morgan Park.

Plans for Atlas Park include baseball and soccer fields, dog park, Frisbee area and nature trails around the entire perimeter of the property for walking and biking and a large recreational center.