{"id":86633,"date":"2024-09-26T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-26T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insideclimatenews.org\/?p=86633"},"modified":"2024-09-26T13:14:47","modified_gmt":"2024-09-26T17:14:47","slug":"illinois-town-challenge-to-build-safe-inclusive-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/insideclimatenews.org\/news\/26092024\/illinois-town-challenge-to-build-safe-inclusive-park\/","title":{"rendered":"One Town\u2019s Challenge to Build a Safe Inclusive Park"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lea este art\u00edculo en espa\u00f1ol<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story is part of a collaborative reporting project<\/a> led by the Institute for Nonprofit News and including Borderless Magazine, Cicero Independiente and Inside Climate News. It was supported by the Field Foundation and INN.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cicero’s vision for a new inclusive park is stirring concern as the suburban Chicago town transforms a former industrial site into a playground accessible for children of all abilities. Despite its inclusive aim, the project, which started construction planning in August, is raising alarms among local residents and experts about how the town is handling toxic soil beneath the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the $2.7 million project promises much-needed green space to combat rising temperatures from climate change, concerns linger about multiple environmental challenges, including toxic contaminants still on site, such as arsenic and lead, pollution, flooding<\/a> and the site’s low 12% tree canopy coverage<\/a>\u2014well below the recommended 40%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Documents from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency obtained by Cicero Independiente through a Freedom of Information Act request detail the site cleanup plan for the Phil Fuentes Ability Park, at 1844 S. Laramie Ave. The plan targets “hot spot” contaminants in the northern and western areas of the site, where Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) were found. Both are harmful chemicals that are used in electrical and construction equipment.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Gerardo Morales, a Cicero resident who lives nearby, said he sometimes walks his children and dogs near the site without knowing its contaminated history. He hadn\u2019t heard about the park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf they really want to build the park, they’re going to have to clean up and fix things, and make sure everything is safe and that the park is good for people,\u201d Morales said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the remediation plan, contaminated soil will be dug out to a depth of 3 feet and replaced with topsoil and fill soil. Excavators and hauling trucks will remove about 242 cubic yards of soil, which will be taken to a hazardous waste landfill. In addition, pavement may be applied to block leftover toxins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kimberly Gray, a professor with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University, said the hotspot removal approach is not enough to protect against contamination risks. She also mentioned that the clean-up process involves institutional controls, such as using pavement to block toxins, that limit how a property can be used to prevent contaminant exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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