Some parents have been left rattled after the discovery of extremely high levels of lead near a popular waterfront playground.

City officials were made aware of the discovery late Tuesday after the results came in for soil samples taken from Centennial Park as part of an environmental study.

Petrolia mother Beth George was upset to hear the news Wednesday.

George had just taken her four-year-old son Hunter and seven-month-old son Shaun to the park Tuesday night.

“It’s as simple as even just posting a friggen sign until they get the manpower available to put up a fence,” she wrote in an email. “Sarnia once again letting their busy schedules be priority over keeping our city/families safe.”

Trevor Bouck was also frustrated by the news. He had brought his daughter to the park on Tuesday as well.

“I am upset this was not discovered earlier,” he said. “Now wondering what is going to be done and if it will ever be deemed ‘safe.’”

When asked if the city had taken soil samples before the playground was built, city manager Lloyd Fennell said he didn’t have an answer readily available, as the playground has been around for years.

“I think that would make sense, but I don’t have an answer for you,” he said Wednesday.

Fennell said the city is putting precautions in place.

“Lead levels certainly with respect to young children are very difficult, so that’s why in the proximity of the playground we’re taking this step to have it fenced off for now until we get more detailed information from our consultants,” he said.

Lead is considered more harmful to children because their brains and nervous systems are still developing, according to the MedlinePlus online encyclopedia. Symptoms of lead poisoning include abdominal pain, aggressive behaviour, and low appetite and energy.

Last June, the city commissioned an environmental study after a tar-like substance was discovered in Centennial Park near the area where the Bayfest stage is set up. The section of the park was fenced off from the public.

Extremely high levels of lead have also been found west of the area that was already fenced off last summer.

“It’s a very thin layer of top soil there, so that’s part of the reason (why) we can do that area by covering it up with amounts of earth,” Fennell said. “The area near the vicinity of the playground, we need to fence off until we have a better understanding of what’s involved.”

City staff will be spreading clean earth stockpiled from Norm Perry Park into the area west of the already fenced off section.

Consultants with Golder Associates Ltd. will be continuing their testing of the area as part of the $55,700 second phase of the environmental study.

During phase one, consultants reviewed historical documents to figure out what might be seeping up in the park. Some possibilities include chemicals and materials typically used in the salt and lumber industries.

Consultants also said new soil could have been brought into the area and that a coal gasification plant once operated east of the park.

Final testing results and recommendations are expected by mid-May.

“We’re anticipating (possible remedial work) will be part of the report as well,” Fennell said.

barbara.simpson@sunmedia.ca