FRIENDSHIP 'TURTLE' PARK in Northwest D.C. will not be closed indefinitely, despite initial reports last night that it would be shut down due to concerns about arsenic levels in the soil. Karen Harris, chairperson of May Fair, an annual fundraising event for the park, says the park will be open, and the family friendly event is continuing as planned on Saturday.
D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Ward 3 councilmember Mary Cheh and George S. Hawkins, director of the D.C. Department of Environment confirmed at a press conference Thursday that initial reports of the park's closure were premature, according to Harris.
"When they said the park might be closed last night, it's because they had not been made aware of the Army Corps of Engineers testing in 2002," Harris said. "Extensive arsenic testing was done [then], that showed no significant levels of arsenic."
May Fair takes place Saturday at Turtle Park, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY have prompted the Army Corps of Engineers to suspend the search for World War I-era chemical munitions that were buried decades ago in D.C.'s Spring Valley neighborhood, officials said.
The halt was called to allow the corps to reassess safety procedures after an artillery round was discovered on the 4800 block of Glenbrook Road, near American University, The Post's Steve Vogel reports:
The Army's safety procedures for the excavation assume a worst-case scenario involving the release of arsine, a toxic chemical agent from a 75mm artillery round that was not configured to explode. Corps officials said they do not know whether the artillery round recently discovered is explosively configured.None of the munitions unearthed since chemical weapons were first found in the neighborhood in 1993 has been configured to explode, a Corps official told Vogel.
» "Army Suspends Search for Buried Munitions" [WaPo]
HERE'S A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS most neighborhood residents don't get. From this week's Current newspapers:
In an emergency, residents should shelter in place. If they hear the siren, they should immediately go indoors, answer an emergency telephone call from the [Army] Corps [of Engineers], close all windows and doors, turn off all ventilation systems and wait for the "all-clear" siren.But if you live in the Upper Northwest neighborhood of Spring Valley, which was built on a World War I chemical munitions testing ground, the above steps are important to know.
Starting Oct. 29, the Army Corps of Engineers will start excavating buried munitions at 4825 Glenbrook Road, right next door to the South Korean ambassador's residence, and it's preparing the surrounding neighborhood just in case anything goes wrong. The release of poisonous gas is a potential threat, albeit a remote one.
» "Spring Valley" [Army Corps of Engineers]
Army Corps of Engineers map of the former testing area at or surrounding American University
Addison Road