Salem To Clean Up Arsenic Found At Lower Gallows Hill Park

SALEM, MA — The $1.6 million renovation of the Ryan Brennan Skatepark and surrounding area did not make it through the five years of the project without some eye-opening discoveries.

A big one came when an environmental study of the ground on the periphery of the park near Mansell Field came back with elevated levels of arsenic in the soil.

Jenna Ide, the city's Director of Capital Projects, told Patch shortly after the grand opening of the renovated skate park in October that the source of the contamination could date back to a tannery located on the site in the early 1900s.

Either way, that area of the park was restricted, per the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, during the renovation until the arsenic could be removed.

On Tuesday, the city will present plans for the cleanup of the area to the Salem Park & Recreation Commission during a virtual public meeting.

The city, along with its licensed professional and landscape artist, will present the plans for clean up at the meeting and answer questions from the public. All are welcomed to participate.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 via Zoom and be available within 48 hours after its broadcast for review. Those who would like to participate in the meeting can do by going here or by contacting Ted Devine at tdevine@salem.com.