Durham, NC
Climate and Environment | 2025
Understanding risk of exposure from parks with contaminated soil to protect nearby residents’ health and advocate for remediation.
Exposure to lead and heavy metals can cause serious health problems and irreversible damage. In 2023, a researcher discovered lead and other heavy metals in the soil of five parks in Durham, North Carolina. These parks—Lyon, Walltown, Northgate, East End, and East Durham—were the site of municipal incinerators or received soil from those sites. These incinerators were placed in historically redlined neighborhoods, near majority communities of color and residents with low incomes. Though soil in the parks has been tested, the extent to which lead and heavy metal contamination extends to the residential areas surrounding the parks is unknown. To identify potential health risks, Toxic Free North Carolina, NC Environmental Justice Network, and community partners will educate residents, host soil screening events, help residents collect soil from their properties, and analyze soil-testing results.
Project partners will develop materials needed to conduct Soil Screening, Health, Outreach, and Partnership (soilSHOP) events that will educate residents about the history of the parks’ land use and contamination, connect them with experts to address community concerns, and share health resources and tools to reduce exposure. These events will also provide a space to dream of future possibilities for the park sites. The team will implement a consent and informed protection plan to educate participants about the legal implications of participating in soil testing. Bilingual canvassers will promote the events and provide training on soil contamination and collection around the five parks. After the events, the project team will analyze the soil samples from participating residents’ homes and publish a dashboard with deidentified soil-quality data at a neighborhood level. Partners will also provide the individualized data to residents who have opted to receive it.
Project partners will share the analyses with the Durham City Council, the Durham County Department of Public Health, and other local agencies to identify health solutions. Affected residents can use the results of this data collection effort to protect their health and advocate for solutions. Organizations supporting these communities, including Toxic Free North Carolina, the Contaminated Parks Organizing Team, and NC Environmental Justice Network, will use the findings to advocate for remediation to improve soil quality and the health of Durham communities.