What used to be full of laughter from families, the scent of barbecues and the meeting of friends, is now laced with toxic chemicals and causing a disturbing threat to public safety.
Part of Chatsworth Park, which may be considered one of the most picturesque areas of the San Fernando Valley, is now being carefully measured for lead contamination and is no longer open for the enjoyment or use of the public.
Located at Devonshire Street and Valley Circle Boulevard, Chatsworth Park South has been gated off and staffed with a 24-hour security watch to keep visitors out of the recreational area entirely.
A mere 10 minutes from Pierce College, the closed park causes a great interference to many students that are now unable to practice sports, hike or study in the rocky hills Chatsworth is well known for.
Hundreds of small lead shotgun pellets, used to shoot small birds, have been found in a large area of the park, according to Wayne Tsuda, director of the Environmental Affairs Department for the City of Los Angeles.
“It used to be a clay pigeon shooting range in the ’60s prior to becoming a park,” Tsuda said. “Lead is a metal on a list of toxic substances, and having such high levels of it in the playground and picnic areas is mainly a risk to children.”
Although only toxic if ingested or inhaled, the potentially lethal lead pellets could easily get into the wrong hands – such as those of a small child.
“There are lots of steps to take in an investigation before it can be open again,” said Jane Kolb, city parks spokeswoman. “It used to be a shooting range and the lead leached into the ground. It won’t open until the lead has been cleaned.”
Inaccurate speculations have been discussed concerning the nearby Rocketdyne and its Santa Susana Field Laboratory. Although some radiation was released from engine and missile testing in 1959, this issue is separate from the lead found in the soil at Chatsworth Park South.
Aside from the truth about why the park was closed, occupants of the area are heartbroken that they can no longer benefit from living near the park.
“We bought our house because it was in front of the park and now there is no park and no fun,” said Chatsworth resident Nicolas Stevenson.
Although this park is not the only one in the area, it surpasses others nearby with its vast amount of space and scenery.
“I can’t take my nephew to play anymore unless I want to go to Mason Park, which is just a little blob of grass – and it’s always overcrowded,” said Jessica Dean, resident of Rockpointe, a community of town homes next to the park.
With many tests and investigations remaining, the park’s reopening is unlikely for awhile.
“Until the contamination is gone, the park will stay closed,” Tsuda said.
