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Crews tested more areas of Northwest D.C. on Thursday after discovering high concentrations of arsenic in Fort Reno Park, leading to its closure.
Scientist Terry Slonecker opened a pandora's box. "The classifier came back and said it looks to me like there's arsenic-affected grass at Fort Reno."
The special imaging aerial photo taken eight years ago for the Spring Valley munitions probe happened to include Fort Reno and after years of research, Slonecker was able to color-code in red, areas of arsenic. He took soil samples last month. "The levels we got were pretty high," said Slonecker, "you would not expect to see those levels in a residential setting, especially in a park setting."
Arsenic is absorbed by vegetation, but that wasn't too much comfort to those who garden in the park's community garden. ANC Commissioner Cathy Wiss has grown vegetables for years in the garden. "Right now my family is in a quandary. What do we do? What have we been doing? Should we get tested? How do we get tested?"
One sample from the park came back 1100 parts per million of arsenic. It closed the park and triggered more testing at Fort Reno and nearby schools.
"I think it's a big thing because I'm worried about my health and the health of my friends," said Wilson High School student Nicholas Bortz.
While long-term exposure to high levels of arsenic have been linked to cancer, officials are playing down the risks.
"Ingestion is the most significant pathway, so it would be from someone eating the dirt, and it takes a fair amount of exposure at low levels," said George Hawkins, Director of D.C.'s Department of the Environment. "Nevertheless, we want to take every precaution."
The Environmental Protection Agency were out Thursday, digging up the soil samples after this week's preliminary test results showed up to 30 times the allowable levels of arsenic in some spots.
"As of now I want to assure the residents of our neighborhoods that they are safe and the city and federal government working together have a plan and have things under control," said Mary Cheh with the D.C. Council.
Snow fencing was set up around the 32-acre park at Chesapeake Street and Nebraska Avenue in the Tenleytown neighborhood.
Park service officials say the park, popular for sports and concerts, will be closed indefinitely.
"We used to come here two or three times a week, and of course this upsets our little schedule," said said Lyle Kleinhans, who uses the park to play tennis.
No one can be certain how the arsenic got into the park, but there is one theoy, "Fort Reno was used as an embalming station for Civil War soldiers and some of the embalming fluid actually contained arsenic compounds."
"Some say closing this park was premature and complete overkill. But others are saying, what else didn't you tell us?"
Answers for both sides should come within the next few days.
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