{"id":12663,"date":"2026-04-14T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T09:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/?p=12663"},"modified":"2026-04-14T09:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T09:00:00","slug":"new-orleans-takes-steps-to-assess-and-clean-lead-in-playgrounds-after-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/?p=12663","title":{"rendered":"New Orleans Takes Steps To Assess and Clean Lead in Playgrounds After Investigation"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Orleans plans to revamp the commission that oversees city parks and playgrounds and is seeking $5 million in federal aid after an investigation published by Verite News<\/a> and KFF Health News<\/a> found high levels of lead contamination in playgrounds throughout the city.<\/p>\n

Mayor Helena Moreno signed an executive order<\/a> on April 7 that creates a task force to improve the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission. One of the task force\u2019s duties will be to \u201cconsider and make recommendations regarding the costs and practicalities of implementing a program to assess and remediate safety and environmental concerns at NORDC facilities and playgrounds, including the existence of lead in soil\u201d and other environmental issues, according to the order.<\/p>\n

About a week before Moreno signed that order, Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Jennifer Avegno announced that city officials were working with the state\u2019s congressional delegation to request $5 million in federal funds for the federal fiscal year that starts in October. That money would go toward testing and the possible cleanup of playgrounds with elevated levels of lead. She said her office is also reviewing past city records, working with the city\u2019s in-house experts in its Planning Commission\u2019s Brownfield Program, and reviewing Verite\u2019s soil test results.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to figure out, with whatever pots of money we can get, how can we make a more sustained and meaningful impact than we have been able to in the past?\u201d Avegno said during an April 1 panel discussion<\/a> of Verite\u2019s lead contamination investigation.<\/p>\n

In the investigation published in February, Verite reporters tested more than 80 playgrounds for lead and documented unsafe levels of the toxic metal at just over half of them. Since then, parents across the city have called the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, their elected officials, and other city offices seeking action.<\/p>\n

But with the city in the midst of a budget crisis, parents and community groups in one neighborhood are taking action themselves. They are trying to raise $8,000 to hire a contractor to do extensive testing in the Bywater neighborhood\u2019s Mickey Markey Playground, where Verite recorded lead samples that exceeded the federal hazard level of 200 parts per million \u2014 one sample registered at 403 parts per million.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m aware of the city budget issues right now, and I\u2019m also aware that fixing one playground in one neighborhood might not be a giant priority,\u201d said Devin DeWulf, a father of two who lives in Bywater and founded the Krewe of Red Beans<\/a>, a community organization helping with the fundraising.<\/p>\n

Lead contamination persists in New Orleans soil, older buildings, and drinking water, posing a significant public health threat to children. Children under 6 can absorb the toxic metal more easily than adults, contaminating their blood and harming the long-term development of their brains and nervous systems.<\/p>\n

There is no known safe exposure level for children or adults. In children, even trace amounts can result in behavioral problems and lower cognitive abilities. Chronic lead exposure for adults can increase the risk of heart problems and other health issues.<\/p>\n

Beyond the effects on a single child or family, Avegno said, lead exposure has long-term implications, including its potential link to increases in violent crime<\/a>, which makes the issue even more critical.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew we had to exhaust every avenue,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Due to low rates of testing, it\u2019s unclear how many children across New Orleans are exposed to lead. In 2023, just 17% of children were tested for lead poisoning in New Orleans, despite a state law<\/a> that requires medical providers to test all children by age 1 and again by 2. Currently, the state Department of Health doesn\u2019t have a mechanism for enforcing the law.<\/p>\n

Public health researchers recommend parents avoid playgrounds with lead contamination because it can be difficult to prevent young children from placing dirt in their mouths or breathing in dust kicked up during play.<\/p>\n

Vann Joines, a Bywater neighborhood resident who often takes his 2-year-old daughter to Mickey Markey Playground, is part of the group raising money to independently test the playground.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s really important for us to be exceedingly mindful at public playgrounds and at public parks,\u201d Joines said.<\/p>\n

DeWulf and Joines said they anticipate the work will take a few years and hope to create a playbook that other neighborhoods can follow for their own playgrounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could create a how-to guide on how we could effectively do this in partnerships in the city,\u201d Joines said.<\/p>\n

On top of the $5 million the city is requesting for soil testing and possible remediation, Avegno said the city planned to apply for a grant to help address lead at early childhood education centers.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour story was amazing timing,\u201d she told a Verite reporter.<\/p>\n

KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\n

USE OUR CONTENT<\/h3>\n

This story can be republished for free (details<\/a>).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Orleans plans to revamp the commission that oversees city parks and playgrounds and is seeking $5 million in federal aid after an investigation published by Verite News and KFF Health News found high levels of lead contamination in playgrounds throughout the city. Mayor Helena Moreno signed an executive order on April 7 that creates…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":12664,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12663","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12663"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12663"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12663\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12663"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12663"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medical-article.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12663"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}