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Rat Problem Worsens in Northwest D.C. Neighborhood

Map It:  Tenleytown 

2008-01-15-rat.jpgRESIDENTS NEAR TENLEYTOWN can't seem to catch a break. Just last week, officials closed Fort Reno Park over worries about high levels of arsenic in the soil.

Now, there's another terror from below to fear: rats.

NBC4 had this to say about the apparently worsening problem near the intersection of Wisconsin and Nebraska avenues NW. Be prepared to shudder:

The infestation can be seen day or night, residents said. Rats can be seen in bushes, holes and scurrying alongside homes.

Neighbors said the rat problem has been multiplying for months. The health department said the deep and complex maze of boroughs is proof that the small patch of city-owned land has become a big problem.

There's also video of said rats to go with the NBC4 story. Excessive? Maybe. Creepy? Definitely.

Officials told the station that rat poison was being dispersed in the area and that they hope to have the rat problem under control within weeks.

By the way, soil tests on Fort Reno Park conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency showed that arsenic levels in the soil are safe, The Post's Daniel LeDuc reported this morning. The park remains closed, however, and The Post's D.C. Wire blog says you shouldn't plan an afternoon at Fort Reno just yet — there's much more testing still to be done.

» "Health Department: NW D.C. Neighborhood Infested With Rats" [WRC]
» "Fort Reno: It's Not Over Yet" [D.C. Wire/WaPo]
» "New Soil Tests Show Safe Arsenic Levels" [WaPo]

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