High Lead Levels Found At 4 Playgrounds; Reopening Set For July

SILVER SPRING, MD — Four Montgomery County playgrounds were found to have elevated lead levels and were forced to shut down for repairs, according to a statement released by Montgomery Parks this month.

Fairland Recreational Park and Countryside Neighborhood Park in Fairland, Calverton-Galway Local Park in Silver Spring, and Fox Chapel Neighborhood Park in Germantown are expected to reopen at the end of July.

They are among 24 playgrounds that contain rubber surfacing, which is designed to reduce the likelihood of serious injuries from falls.

"The safety of our park patrons is always a top priority for the Parks Department. We decided to proactively test our playgrounds with rubber surfacing when we learned that testing in nearby jurisdictions showed elevated lead levels," said Montgomery Parks Director Mike Riley.

Surface testing at all 24 playgrounds indicated acceptable levels of lead, according to Riley. Bulk samples were also taken from parts of the playground where the surface layer was worn away.

That's where the elevated lead levels were found at Fairland Recreational Park, Countryside Neighborhood Park, Calverton-Galway Local Park, and Fox Chapel Neighborhood Park.

"Since the primary risk of lead exposure to children comes from touching contaminated surfaces and ingesting contaminated material, including dust, the risk of any exposure to lead from rubber surfacing at our playgrounds is very low," Riley explained.

While Riley says the risk of lead exposure is low, the playgrounds were shut down for repairs this spring.

All rubber surfaces will be removed from Countryside and Fairland parks. Isolated areas of surface deterioration will be repaired at Calverton-Galway Local Park and Fox Chapel Neighborhood Park playgrounds, which have both been prioritized for a full renovation.