At Gill Street Park, a fence surrounds the perimeter, and a sign lets visitors know it's closed.
The problem isn’t what you see, it’s what lies beneath the surface. signs reveal the park is closed for an environmental remediation project. A closer look explains why: lead has been discovered less than one foot underground.
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The posted signs reveal that the park is closed for an environmental remediation project. A closer look explains why: lead has been discovered less than one foot underground.
Hailey Jackola lives right around the corner. She said she thought the park was closed for cleaning, but when she learned the actual reason, it made her nervous.
"It is worrisome. Especially me being a renter here," she said.
Gill Street Park sits atop one of 33 old landfills in Wake County. Sites like this can contain elevated levels of lead, as they were established before modern regulations designed to prevent toxic substances from seeping into the soil.
WRAL Investigates found documents that show the town was informed the park was built on top of a landfill about 20 years ago, though no testing was done until 2024.
Questions about the delay have drawn attention to the issue. WRAL Investigates first asked the Town of Zebulon, which owns the park, whose responsibility it is to oversee the site and order testing. A spokesperson referred questions to the Department of Environmental Quality, which has a unit dedicated to investigating and addressing old landfill sites based on priority.
In a statement, the DEQ said it was not involved with the landfill beneath Gill Street Park until 2024, when the town reached out while considering potential redevelopment of the park.
According to a spokesperson, the DEQ recommended the Town retain an environmental engineering consultant to assess site conditions in support of that redevelopment planning. After reviewing information from the consultant, the DEQ recommended that the site be evaluated through the Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program.
The agency added, "In general, the responsibility for a pre-regulatory landfill rests with the property owner."
When asked about its policies for initiating environmental testing, a town spokesperson stated, "Environmental testing decisions are coordinated with licensed professionals and follow DEQ protocols and industry standards based on site-specific conditions."
They went on to say, "The Town is advocating for improved communication and education at the state level, including more consistent outreach to property owners and municipalities."
The Town of Zebulon is continuing its work with the DEQ to determine the best path forward for environmental remediation at Gill Street Park.
