Cleanup operation underway at lead-contaminated NW Atlanta park
The playground at Lindsay Street Park (EPA Southeast)
ATLANTA - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has begun a cleanup effort of a northwest Atlanta park to remove dangerous lead-contaminated soil.
Lindsay Street Park in English Avenue has been closed since 2022.
The backstory:
The park opened in 2015 on the site of what was once six blighted lots. It was the first public park in the Atlanta neighborhood.
In 2018, researchers discovered lead contamination in the area, leading to the EPA response and the park's closure.
Officials say the contamination was due to the metal foundries that were once in the area and the smelting waste left behind.
The EPA added the Westside Lead Site to its priority list for cleanup in 2022.
What's next:
The ongoing cleanup of the area is expected to take six years and cost $49 million, funded by federal and state dollars.
In the park, the EPA says crews will excavate up to 2 feet of lead-contaminated soil and replace it with clean fill and topsoil.
Once completed, the EPA will restore the landscaping. The City of Atlanta plans to replace all the park's playground equipment.
What they're saying:
"This federal-state-local partnership between EPA, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and the City of Atlanta will get children back on the playground and residents back to enjoying their park," said Administrator Kevin McOmber of EPA’s Southeast Region. "We are proud to play a role in making Lindsay Street Park safe for children."
You can learn more about the cleanup operation on the EPA's website.
The Source: Information for this story was taken from a release by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.