Harmful Chemicals Found At Natick's East Park

NATICK, MA — Natick officials are working on a plan to clean up PCBs discovered recently at the under-renovation East Park. PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are toxic compounds that were once widely used in industrial applications.

The PCBs were found at the southwest end of the park behind the Hertz car rental and Speedway gas station. The area will be off-limits. Natick will erect 6-foot fences around contaminated site near the backstop of the baseball field.

"The town will need to work to remediate the area immediately. There is no danger to our drinking water and all remediation efforts are being coordinated with our local Department of Public Health and the Department of Environment Protection. There are no known issues with the playground and other areas of the park," the town said in a statement.

East Park — also called East Field — has been undergoing renovation recently, with the town upgrading the playground, basketball, tennis, pickle ball, and baseball field areas. The park is only open weekdays during the renovation. The town plans a grand opening for the park once all the work is complete.

PCBs were used widely from 1929 until they were banned in the U.S. in 1979. They were used in electrical components like power tranformers, but also in paint, copy paper, and engine oil. PCBs do not readily break down and can remain embedded in topsoil for decades. The chemicals are known to cause cancer, but can also damage the neurological and reproductive systems.