City of New Orleans Shut Down Three Lead Contaminated Parks 

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  NEW ORLEANS — City of New Orleans officials said they are shutting down three playgrounds because of lead contamination, and at least eight more will also need to be treated for lead in the paint and soil.

According to tests, the three parks with the highest lead levels are the Danneel Playspot on St. Charles Avenue, Taylor Park on South Roman and Annunciation Park on Race Street. ( PDF: Lead Testing Grids)

“That’s not good news at all. It kind of makes me want to cry and get extremely upset, because it’s your baby,” said parkgoer Anne Maljkovic.

Maljkovic said she takes her toddler, Mia, to Danneel Playspot every day. News that portions of Danneel, Annunciation and Taylor playgrounds will be closed due to high lead levels has her worried because her daughter plays at two of them.

“She cut her hand and there was dirt, and now that you’re telling me this, now I want to go to the hospital,” Maljkovic said.

The tests show 11 out of 13 city playgrounds have lead, but the three with the highest will be fenced off for the next six weeks while remediation takes place.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency soil standard is 400 milligrams of lead per kilogram. There were 67 to 890 milligrams at Danneel, 440 to 650 milligrams at Annunciation and 260 to 1,100 milligrams at Taylor, tests showed.

“Crews are going to cordon off the play spot areas where there is playground equipment and there is bare soil around,” said Dr. Karen Desalvo, the city’s health commissioner.

The city will spend $30,000 at Danneel, $16,000 at Taylor and $7,500 at Annunciation.

Eight others will also be treated for lead. Those are Easton, Van McMurray, Hunter’s Field, Burke, Lemann II, Stallings Center, Comiskey and Rreme Center.

“We’re here almost every afternoon, so it will be difficult while they are remediating to stay away,” said mother Corie Talano. “But we’ll definitely come back if they’re going to fix the problem.”

City leaders suggested that children between the ages of 6 months and 6 years old get tested as a precaution. They warn that lead is in New Orleans soil because it is a historic city.

“But lead poisoning is preventable if you wash hands, wash clothes and are conscious about the fact that we could be exposed,” Desalvo said.

That’s what the Bosman family always did when they visited Mickey Markey Park in the Bywater, Diamonte Bosman said.

“Even so, when tests showed it had lead this past January we went and did the proper testing,” Bosman said.

Mickey Markey Park reopened earlier this month after remediation efforts. Crews removed contaminated soil and placed geo-textile fabric over the old soil where lead levels were detected. Six inches of new soil and sod were then installed.

Back at Danneel Playspot, Maljkovic said she wonders if the city is downplaying the issue, especially because no signs were posted Tuesday afternoon.

“If we all knew it, the switchboard would light up. It would be panic,” she said.

The city said signs and fencing will go up later this week. Representatives will also be speaking to neighborhood associations to help get the word out.

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