Because tests of soil from Mickey Markey Park in the Bywater showed higher than normal levels of lead, the city will extend last week's temporary closure of the park and will "immediately" begin remediation of the park, City Health Commissioner Dr. Karen DeSalvo announced today.
The announcement is the result of an unusually swift chain of events that started when routine pediatric blood-lead tests showed elevated levels for a group of Bywater and Marigny children. The parents formed an educational group and consulted with Howard Mielke of the Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research, who found that the surface dirt in the children's favorite playground contained high levels of lead.
I remembered seeing Mielke's name featured in this NPR story about renewed concern over lead contamination in New Orleans after the flood. It featured this map of lead concentrations in New Orleans soil.
If you're unfamiliar with NOLA geography, Markey Park is located right around that big maroon splotch on the map.
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