Arsenic level leads to closure of parts of Clifton park

The majority of Weasel Brook Park in Clifton will be closed to the public because of elevated levels of arsenic, county officials said Thursday.

The four grass areas in the park will be fenced off for a yet-to-be-determined time, according to a Passaic County press release. The areas represent about three-quarters of the park, county spokesman Keith Furlong said.

Arsenic was found in soil samples performed as part of an improvement project at the park.

The arsenic levels do not pose a health risk to the public, Furlong said.

"This is an abundance of caution what we’re doing here," he said.

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The basketball courts, bathrooms, spray park, playground, and pavilion area will remain open for use.

The arsenic may be in the park because of the its past use as an agricultural site, which would have involved pesticides, or it could have occurred naturally, according to Passaic County Director of the Department of Health, Dr. Charlene Gungil.

The 19-acre Weasel Brook Park opened in 1940. The improvement plan was funded by a Green Acres grant and the Passaic County Open Space Trust Fund. Work started in 2016, creating a new basketball court, a toddler playground, a multipurpose field, renovation of the restroom facility, dredging a 4,000-cubic-yard pond and restoration of the historic Westervelt-Vanderhoef House.

Furlong said he was unsure how much it may cost to address the arsenic.

"For sure there’s going to be a cost with remediation," he said.

Residents with questions about the park can contact the Passaic County Department of Health at 973-881-4396.

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com