Cudahy : Work Begins on Resurfacing Playground to Stop Sludge
Work started this week on building a cover over the playground at Park Avenue Elementary School to prevent buried petroleum waste from seeping to the surface.
The school, at 8020 Park Ave., Cudahy, was closed a year ago when parents and teachers raised concerns about health hazards associated with the tar-like sludge that appears in tiny puddles on the asphalt playground.
Tests by an environmental engineering firm concluded that students would not face any health hazards unless they had prolonged contact with the sludge. The school was built on an old dump.
A new layer of asphalt with a polyethylene liner will be placed over the playground to stop petroleum chemical compounds and vapors from escaping. The work will cost an estimated $1 million.
About 1,200 Park Avenue students are temporarily attending Teresa Hughes Elementary School and Clara Street Primary Center.
Park Avenue, which operates on a year-round schedule, is expected to reopen Oct. 12.
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