An investigation into arsenic at Baltimore?s Swann Park is picking up speed, the owners of a former pesticide factory said Monday.
“Honeywell is committed to cleaning up Swann Park consistent with current environmental standards,” said Dave Wickersham, director of global remediation services for the New Jersey-based Honeywell International, which is conducting the investigation.
During the next two weeks, Honeywell workers and Maryland Department of the Environment officials will collect additional soil and groundwater samples from the park and the storm drain on McComas Street.
City officials closed the park in April after Honeywell found high levels of arsenic in the soil, ranging from 23 to 2,200 parts per million. The site borders a former pesticide factory owned by Allied Chemical, now Honeywell.
The tests were spurred by state health officials after Honeywell turned over Allied?s files on previous contamination and attempts to clean up the baseball, soccer, football and softball fields there.
The additional samples collected this month will be sent to an independent lab for analysisand then provided to the state and the City.
Honeywell anticipates that the results of the investigation will be available this summer.
Mayor Sheila Dixon and city Health Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein formed a task force to investigate the history of the arsenic pollution at the South Baltimore park. Testing in the park showed high levels of arsenic in 1976, according to Dixon. The mayor wants a full and proper investigation into the park, mayoral spokesman Anthony McCarthy said Monday.
“Mayor Dixon wants this done right, and she wants it done thoroughly.”
