'This is about our health': Durham City Council to discuss proposal to clean lead-contaminated parks at Monday meeting

Durham City leaders will discuss the Durham Parks and Recreation Department’s (DPR) proposal to clean up five parks contaminated by lead and other toxins during their meeting on Monday.

In December 2022, a report from a Duke researcher concluded there were mineral soil concentrations of lead in some areas of East End Park, East Durham Park and Walltown Park. The report went public around June of 2023.

Testing later confirmed contamination at the three parks, as well as Northgate Park and Lyon Park.

The DPR requested $5 million to clean up the parks.

“This is really about our health,” Brandon Williams with the Walltown Community Association said. “ The parks are places that are public. I think it’s critical for residents to take ownership of that and advocate for what we need, particularly given the lack of urgency that [was] present over the last year.”

A WRAL Investigates report revealed DPR employees knew of the soil contamination for months before the report went public, frustrating many Durham residents.

“I think the understanding [is] that this information has been hidden for some time,” Williams said. “Folks are frustrated by the lack of transparency.”

While leaders with Durham Parks expect the cost to total $5 million, clean-up costs could be higher.

In Greensboro, remediation of Bingham Park, built on a landfill before regulations were in place, is expected to cost between $24 million and $35 million.

Residents agreed that while the $5 million is a good starting point, they want a long-term solution for the cleanup of the parks.

“We’d love to see more education given to residents about the dangers,” Williams said. “Give the full breadth of information [of] what the potential harms and dangers are. Give folks the tools they need to get tested and keep themselves safe. Let’s start work on what the solutions are going to be..to remediate and make these parks safe again.”