More PCB Tests For Natick's East Park

NATICK, MA — Natick's East Park has been shut down after carcinogenic PCBs were found in a section of the park recently. The town will test more soil from different parts of the under-renovation park to see if the contamination is more widespread.

On Nov. 5, the town announced that PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, were found at the southwest end of the park behind the Hertz car rental and Speedway gas station. Soil samples showed levels of PCBs higher than 1 part-per million, which is the state safety threshold.

On Thursday, the town decided to shut the entire park down pending the results of new tests conducted at other spots around the park. Those tests should be available the week of Nov. 11, according to officials.

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 was recently opened to the public during weekdays ahead of a planned grand re-opening.

"We understand that there is concern and disappointment given the significant meaning of this park space for our community. Without compromising the public’s health, we are working as efficiently as possible to determine the next steps," the town said in a statement.

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.

Natick is also planning to hold a public meeting about the PCB finding.