Douglas Park has been closed due to contamination, the City of Miami said Friday.
"The levels that we are talking about in this park are just too high for people to be safely exposed to. they are what's called beyond industrial levels," Commission Marc Sarnoff. The park is in his district.
After metal contaminants were found at Blanche Park and Merrie Christmas Park, the city started testing all 112 parks, The Miami Herald reported.
Lab samples show the soil at the 10-acre park, located at 2795 SW 27th Ave., has high levels of arsenic, lead, mercury and other heavy metals. The toxins in the ground are an indication that the land was once a dumping site long ago for incinerated trash.
To fix the problem, crews will have to dig two feet, install liners and then replace the soil and grass.
The city said it is working closely with the Department of Environmental Resource Management and the state department of health to test further and to make plans to fix the issue permanently.
"The park is being closed until further sampling can be performed and necessary actions are identified," the city said in a statement.
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"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," Mayor Tomas Regalado said in a statement.
There is also a plan to test children who played in the the parks.
The city also said several other parks had been tested and didn't reveal similar contamination.
