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EPA Releases Additional Soil and Sediment Sampling in Louisiana

Release Date: 11/15/2006
Contact Information: Dale Kemery, (202) 564-4355 / [email protected]

(11/15/06) At the request of the New Orleans Health Department, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) collected soil and sediment samples at 18 playgrounds across New Orleans and analyzed the samples for lead. Seventeen of the playgrounds were flooded as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Although Audubon Park was not flooded, it was sampled at the request of LDEQ.

EPA and LDEQ began collecting samples from these parks on July 5, and completed the sampling on July 12. The number of individual samples collected at each playground ranged from 11 samples at several of the smaller playgrounds up to 27 samples at Audubon Park. The results of the samples were compared to LDEQ's Risk Evaluation/Corrective Action Program (RECAP) Residential Screening Level of 400 mg/kg lead.

The majority of the samples were below LDEQ's RECAP screening level of 400 mg/kg. Some samples exceeded RECAP screening levels but they were consistent with lead levels in soil reported in studies conducted prior to the hurricanes.

The results have been provided to the New Orleans Health Department.

Summary of sampling results: epa.gov/katrina/testresults/index.html#playground