Norton's Fort Reno Park Community Meeting Helps Clarify Error In Judgement & Protocol (7/3/08)

Washington, DC - Sources of the arsenic scare at Fort Reno Park and the full time line were revealed publicly for the first time last night at Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton's (D-DC) Fort Reno Park community meeting, where representatives from the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Park Service (NPS) discussed the community's concerns. The park was closed by NPS after the Geological Survey told NPS of suspicions of high levels of arsenic in the park's soil. After further tests by EPA and local agencies, the park was found to be safe and was re-opened by NPS. But new information was revealed at the meeting last night, including the source of the false arsenic positive on which officials acted. The erroneous report was traced to new experimental equipment being tested by the Geological Survey.

"I am concerned that officials relied on experimental technology and moved quickly to close the park, although the Geological Survey scientist involved, himself, thought the tests results were probably inaccurate," Norton said. The technology uses photos and light reflections from toxins to determine levels of toxicity. The experimental equipment, however, confused arsenic and lead indications. The only way to discover arsenic levels accurately is through chemical analysis, which was done after the park was closed. Officials told residents they erred on the side of caution.

Norton also agreed with Councilwoman Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), ANC commissioners, and residents who attended the meeting, held at Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church, that the lack of coordination between federal and local officials during the Fort Reno arsenic scare indicated a lack of readiness in the event of a more serious public emergency. Norton asked that NPS take the lead in developing protocols between District agencies and federal agencies, especially considering that several agencies would normally be involved in the event of a threat to public safety.

The Congresswoman has been working closely with District residents to hold federal agencies accountable since munitions were found in Spring Valley 15 years ago. She also is working to make sure that annual funds are available for the continued clean-up there. She said, "I'm holding this meeting, not because the federal agencies involved haven't been forthcoming, but because I believed they owed a briefing to the community." The planned two hour meeting, which began at 6:30 p.m., was extended as residents asked penetrating questions and the federal agency representatives revealed details that raised still more questions.

Some of the Tenleytown residents were particularly troubled to learn that during testing, lead was found in the soil at Fort Reno and may be insufficiently contained. After a Geological Survey representative explained that an area of the park believed to be contaminated by high levels of lead has been cordoned off, a resident questioned him about possible run-off in soil after a hard rain. The resident was not satisfied with the answer that plants in the soil would prevent such run-off.

Residents and an ANC commissioner from the Spring Valley neighborhood also questioned federal agencies during the meeting. Norton has been working since 1993 to ensure the complete clean-up of the munitions and toxins, and expects to hold a community meeting in Spring Valley soon.