Additional areas in five of the city’s public parks need to be restricted following ongoing soil studies by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, the city’s parks and recreation department said.
New areas at Walltown, East End, East Durham, Lyon and Northgate parks will be restricted to public access because of lead, contamination and/or inadequate soil cover, the city said.
Durham contracted with environmental assessment experts after a 2022 report by a student at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment found lead in soil in areas of Walltown, East End and East Durham parks. The student also recommended assessment of Lyon and Northgate parks.
The state environmental quality department has also tested playground materials like gravel, mulch and liner and results have shown contaminants below hazardous waste levels.
A full report of the findings will be available in the next few months, according to the city. Sampling and analysis will continue into the fall, the city said. A summary of the latest findings is available on the city’s website.
Articles in The 10th Street Journal are generated by AI and reviewed by human editors.