<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoNoSpacing, li.MsoNoSpacing, div.MsoNoSpacing
{mso-style-priority:1;
margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
p.xmsonormal, li.xmsonormal, div.xmsonormal
{mso-style-name:x_msonormal;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.ui-provider
{mso-style-name:ui-provider;}
span.EmailStyle22
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ligatures:none;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<div align="center">
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="750" style="width:562.5pt;border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody>
<tr style="height:81.0pt">
<td width="378" style="width:283.5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:81.0pt">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_7" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Title: City of Durham Communications Department" style='position:absolute;margin-left:0;margin-top:0;width:243.75pt;height:54.75pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:left;mso-position-horizontal-relative:margin;mso-position-vertical:top;mso-position-vertical-relative:margin;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page'>
<v:imagedata src="cid:image003.jpg@01D9A848.92DCDD00" o:title=" City of Durham Communications Department" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="f" />
<w:wrap type="square" anchorx="margin" anchory="margin"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="325" height="73" style="width:3.3854in;height:.7604in" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D9A848.92DCDD00" align="left" hspace="12" alt="Title: City of Durham Communications Department" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_7"><![endif]><o:p></o:p></p>
</td>
<td width="372" valign="top" style="width:279.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:81.0pt">
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;color:#00467E"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><b><span style="color:#00467E">News Media Contact<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span style="color:#00467E">Amy Blalock, Assistant Director<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><span style="color:#00467F">919-475-7735 (mobile</span><span style="color:#00467E">)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" align="right" style="text-align:right"><a href="mailto:CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov">CommsMedia@DurhamNC.gov</a><span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#00467E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:5.0pt;color:#00467E"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="color:#00467E"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:3.4pt">
<td width="750" colspan="2" valign="top" style="width:562.5pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:3.4pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:25.4pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none;vertical-align:middle">
<span style="font-size:50.0pt;color:#00467F">News Release</span><span style="color:#00467F;text-transform:uppercase">
</span><br>
<span style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#EF3D42">For Immediate Release: June 26, 2023<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:25.4pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none;vertical-align:middle">
<span style="color:#EF3D42"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" align="center" style="margin:0in;text-align:center;line-height:105%">
<b><span lang="EN" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Durham Hosts Community Meeting to Discuss Soil and Property Testing at Five Parks for Lead Reported in Student
Research Report<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" align="center" style="margin:0in;text-align:center;line-height:105%">
<a href="https://www.dprplaymore.org/516/Soil-Property-Testing"><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Project Website</span></i></a><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">
Now Live</span></i><i><span lang="EN" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#201F1E;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in"> </span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#201F1E"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">DURHAM, N.C. –
</span><span class="ui-provider"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Soil testing is now underway at Walltown, East End, East Durham, Lyon, and Northgate parks after the City of Durham received a report earlier this
month from a former Duke University student regarding their findings of mineral soil concentrations of lead in some areas of three parks.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span class="ui-provider"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#14140C;background:#FCFDFD">The student research report recommended further soil assessments be conducted in certain
areas of Walltown, East End, and East Durham parks due to their findings of varying amounts of lead beneath the top layer of soil as part of their research project. The student report also recommended the City assess Lyon and Northgate parks based on historical
accounts of the land use prior to becoming parks approximately 70 years ago.</span><span style="color:#14140C;background:#FCFDFD"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#14140C;background:#FCFDFD"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span class="ui-provider"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">The City has contracted with
</span></span><a href="https://maaonline.com/"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Mid-Atlantic Associates</span></a><span class="ui-provider"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">,
an engineering and environmental consulting firm, to conduct an independent, scientific study of the soil and property at all five parks. Mid-Atlantic Associates is certified by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (NCDEQ) to conduct environmental
assessments and began their work in these parks on June 19, 2023.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span class="ui-provider"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white;vertical-align:baseline">
<span class="ui-provider"><span style="color:black">To help keep the residents informed on the assessments, a public information meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 29 at 7 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers, located at 101 City Hall Plaza.
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white;vertical-align:baseline">
<span class="ui-provider"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span class="ui-provider"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">During the June 29<sup>th</sup> meeting, Mid-Atlantic Associates will share information on their
scope of work for the environmental assessments of the five parks and their timeline for when their assessments will be complete. State and local public health officials also will be present to answer questions.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span class="ui-provider"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white;vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="color:black">For residents unable to attend this meeting in person, it will be livestreamed on the <a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/1104/Durham-Television-Network" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">City’s website</span></a>;
on the City's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/CityofDurhamNC" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">YouTube</span></a></span><span style="color:#333333">, </span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Facebook</span></a>,
and <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Twitter</span></a></span><span style="color:#333333"> </span><span style="color:black">pages; and on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV
through the free Boxcast app. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white;vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal;background:white;vertical-align:baseline">
<span style="color:black">This meeting will also be televised live on <a href="https://www.durhamnc.gov/1104/Durham-Television-Network" target="_blank"><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in">Durham Television Network</span></a></span><span style="color:#333333"> </span><span style="color:black">(Spectrum
channel 8, Frontier channel 70, and AT&T U-verse channel 99), and made available for on-demand viewing on the City’s
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/CityofDurhamNC">YouTube channel</a> and <a href="https://www.dprplaymore.org/516/Soil-Property-Testing">
project website</a>. </span><span style="color:#333333"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="xmsonormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:105%"><span class="ui-provider"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:25.4pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none;vertical-align:middle">
###<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:25.4pt;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;line-height:normal;text-autospace:none;vertical-align:middle">
<span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>