October 17: Learn about the plan to clean up Kenilworth Park
The National Park Service (NPS) is hosting an open house and information session on the cleanup of Kenilworth Park North, the former landfill site in Ward 7, on Wednesday, October 17, 6:30-8:30 pm. This meeting is important and so is your participation. We hope you can attend.
Get up to speed
The National Park Service will be focusing on bringing attendees up to speed on their plans to clean up the “Kenilworth Park Landfill” as it is officially known. From a technical perspective, NPS must take certain steps to comply with federal Superfund rules (see sidebar), and they will also go over the timeline and process they are following.
The meeting is planned to start with a brief presentation to provide overall context for the project. Attendees will then have the opportunity to talk with NPS staff about the history of Kenilworth Park and the plans for cleaning the park up to a safe standard.
Plan for the future
Once it is cleaned up, the park will be split into two halves. The National Park Service will keep the southern half of the park and maintain it as a natural area. (See the NPS “Management Plan” for Anacostia Park.)
The northern half of the park will actually be transferred to the District of Columbia once the cleanup is complete. There are not yet plans for “Kenilworth Park North.” If you have ideas, concerns, or suggestions for what the future use of “Kenilworth Park North” ought to bring, APACC is excited to soon begin collecting ideas and feedback to share with government agencies. For now, shoot us an email or send us a Tweet if you have ideas!
Why we care
The member organizations of the Anacostia Park and Community Collaborative identified the restoration of Kenilworth Park as a top priority back in 2017. We look forward to hearing what progress the National Park Service has made in its plans to clean up the site.
We believe that the park, once cleaned up, can provide more than just space for recreation: it can provide green jobs for our neighbors, outdoor education classrooms and programs for our kids, better access to the river, spaces for meditation and healing, and more.
In addition to joining the National Park Service to hear more about the cleanup project on October 17, we look forward to working with our member organizations, other nonprofits, Department of Parks and Recreation, Department of Energy and Environment, Office of Planning, and residents like you to come up with an inspiring vision for what the future of the northern half of Kenilworth Park can look like after the cleanup is complete.
IMAGE: ERIN GARNAAS-HOLMES
Kenilworth Park is located within Anacostia Park. Over the past 100 years of industrialism, parts of Anacostia Park were exposed to hazardous substances that could pose a risk to human health or the environment. The National Park Service is currently leading an investigation at the site following the process established by the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), commonly referred to as Superfund. For more information visit go.nps.gov/KenilworthSite.
Image: National Park Service