MIAMI – The city of Miami closed Douglas Park on Friday after county environmental officials found contaminated soil.
The park at Southwest 37th Avenue and 27th Street will remain closed until the Miami-Dade County's Department of Environmental Resource Management conducts further sampling after finding high concentrations of heavy metals, including arsenic and lead.
"We are working with several agencies to guarantee the safety of our residents and visitors to this and all other parks in the city of Miami," said Mayor Tomas Regalado.
"We pledge that the city will remediate Douglas Park and make it safe for people to enjoy once again," added Commissioner Marc Sarnoff.
Sarnoff said construction crews will replace about two feet of topsoil throughout the park. He expects the park to be closed for six months.
In September, the county ordered soil sampling within a one-mile radius of the city's old municipal incinerator, nicknamed Old Smokey.
Two other parks, Blanche Park and Merrie Christmas Park, have also been closed. Sarnoff said children who played at those two parks will also undergo testing.