A couple of updates on the soil testing saga at Fort Totten Park. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton is working with the National Park Service and the US Army Corps of Engineers to determine the scope of further soil testing in the park.

Recall back in 2017, National Park Service officials informed the ANC and elected officials in the city that a Metro contractor brought in soil from a toxic World War I munitions testing site in Spring Valley to rehabilitate NPS parkland on the west side of Fort Totten Park. That parkland had been used as a staging area for construction of Metro’s green line in the 1990s. NPS stated that the contaminated soil had been removed from the park and that soil testing in that area did not show any cause for concern.

In July 2020, an unexploded ordnance was found on the east side of the park where a pedestrian trail was planned between Gallatin and Galloway Street. Residents expressed concern that NPS likely did not know the extent of where soil from Spring Valley was taken in the park. Emails and concerns went unaddressed and residents simply received assurances that everything was okay.

In April 2023 two canisters were found on the west side of the park. The US Army Corps of Engineers is still testing those canisters and the area on the west side of the park remains closed.

The more recent discoveries of munitions in the park led Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, at the urging of residents and ANC Commissioner Zachary Ammerman (5A09), to start periodically requesting soil testing throughout the park. Commissioner Ammerman has created a timeline of events at https://www.anc5a09.com/trackers/fort-circle-park-toxic-waste-timeline.

On April 26, ANC 5A passed a resolution supporting further testing in the park. On May 10, 2023, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton sent another letter to NPS and the Army Corps of Engineers regarding soil testing. That letter requested a response by May 24. (See Congresswoman Norton letter dated May 10). Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker also sent to NPS a letter regarding soil testing. (See CM Parker letter dated May 19).

I reached out to Congresswoman Norton’s office on May 31 to find out if her office had received a response. On June 1, her office informed me that they did not receive a response but that they did receive a briefing on May 25. Her office sent another letter on June 1.

It appears there will be some type of investigation to determine what NPS lands were impacted by Metro’s green line construction and where soil from Spring Valley may have been delivered by Metro’s contractor. Congresswoman Norton’s office is still working with NPS, Metro, and District officials on the scope and timeline for getting all of this done. Her office is also working on a couple of different strategies for getting to the bottom of this issue. I offered a few suggestions to Congresswoman Norton’s office, one of which just involved better communication with residents. We should be getting more information about what is planned in the coming weeks.