Unsafe Paint Found in 6 City Parks

After a survey of 400 city parks, parts of six were closed when inspectors found paint with dangerous levels of lead, a known health hazard for young children, officials said Wednesday.

The temporary closures, expected to last until mid-January, affect areas of playgrounds and day-care centers, including full-size trains at Travel Town in Griffith Park.

The cost of removing the lead-based paint and repainting is estimated at $400,000.

Also affected are parts of the Sylmar recreation center, Shadow Ranch Park in West Hills, and Rustic Canyon, Banning and Echo Park recreation centers. There are city-run day care centers at five sites, where parents were urged to have their children tested as a precaution if they ate with unwashed hands after playing in the dirt.

City Councilman Mike Feuer said the city will notify parents in writing of the concerns and plans to remedy problem sites. He said children 6 and younger are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning.

The partial closures were recommended by the county Department of Health Services, which conducted the tests.

“It’s a concern,” said John Schunhoff, chief of operations for the agency. But, he said, parents “should not panic, because the likelihood of lead poisoning from these sources is not high.”

Health officials said lead can cause learning disabilities and serious health problems if ingested or inhaled over long periods of time and at high levels.

Schunhoff said parents who want reassurance should ask their doctor to do a routine blood test to determine the level of lead exposure of their child.

“I would suggest that parents, the next time their children see a physician, should get them tested,” Schunhoff said.

County health officials did not order any buildings closed, and day care classes in five recreation centers will continue while the problem paint is sealed.

Work to remedy the situation will be completed in two or three weeks, said Richard Sessinghaus, acting general manager of the city Recreation and Parks Department.

The vast majority of playground equipment and park buildings in Los Angeles were painted after 1978, when the health concerns about lead-based paint led to its being outlawed by the federal government.

Residents can get more information by calling county health officials at (800) LA4-LEAD.

Information on the specific park sites can be obtained by calling the Recreation and Parks Department at (213) 485-5555.