Remediation for King Park Completed; Playground Is Open

The remediation that began early this spring to clean up the visible oil at King Park has officially been completed, according to Steve Yeskulsky, director of the Hyattsville Department of Recreation and the Arts.

A heating oil tank underneath the ground is being cited as the initial cause for the spill.

“The oil that we initially believed was illegally dumped in King Park was actually heating oil surfacing from the tanks,” city communications manager Abby Sandel wrote in an email to Patch.

the strong oil odor in the park, and an investigation led the city to believe it was diesel. The contaminated soil and brickwork was excavated and removed in about three days. But further remediation led them to the heating oil tank.

The tank, which is believed to belong to the original Hyattsville Elementary School thas was located there, was not properly drained, causing the oil to rise to the surface after installation began for a new water fountain last spring, Sandel explained. The water from the fountain drained into the ground, leaving an opportunity for the rising oil.

The city assumed they would be able to remove the tank once they found the problem, but it was bolted into cement, helping to prolong the remediation process.

“MDE [Maryland Department of Environment]’s tank specialist advised that the demolition was not feasible," Sandel wrote. "Instead, they would supervise the draining, cleaning, and scrubbing of the tank, and filling it with a slurry to ensure that it is no longer functional.

Two remediations were done since the oil was discovered in March. It was promptly cleaned up, but more oil was found. A second remediation reportedly began on May 26, Yeskulsky said.

That, coupled with weather delays, caused the park to close for nearly two months. Though the playground is completed and reopened, some work still needs to be done on the park’s pathway.

The city is responsible for funding the remediation, Yeskulsky said, although the cost has not been revealed. Residents have also been assured that there will be no long-term effects of the oil surfacing.