Landscape Architect Articles

Tainted Fertilizer Closes County Parks07-26-07 | News

Tainted Fertilizer Closes County Parks

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District, which supplied the tainted fertilizer, admitted to the discovery of low levels of PCBs on the fields and fenced off areas in question.

The closings will affect approximately 16,000 children and adults involved in summer sports leagues. If the fields remain closed, fall sports programs for the schools may be delayed as well.

In Milwaukee, Wis., the county health department has issued a warning triggered by a bad batch of fertilizer. The Milwaukee Public Schools in accordance closed 25 sports fields to prevent children from being exposed to toxic chemicals, or PCBs possibly contained in the fertilizer that was recently spread.

The schools were closed after federal and state health officials recommended testing the soil at all fields where the fertilizer was applied, reported Roseann St. Aubin a spokesperson for the school district.

Initial tests by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District (MMSD), which supplied the fertilizer, found low amounts of the industrial chemicals; that were banned 30 years ago for causing cancer.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows sewage and sludge to be used as fertilizer if it contains less than 10 parts per million of PCBs. Tests showed the sludge applied to the fields contained 2.2 parts per million.

However, last week five Milwaukee County parks were closed after fertilizer containing 85 parts per million of PCBs was applied there.
MMSD donated the sewage sludge to the parks system and 28 tons of it was spread on the 25 recreational fields. MMSD is now working with federal environmental agencies and the Department of Natural Resources to determine how to clean up the problem.

Source: www.gazetteextra.com