Our children deserve safe and healthy places to play

Update May 2017


St. Bernard Parish Recreation Parents

· 9 hrs ·

I didn't do a hard count, but it seemed like about 50 people attend the parish president's town hall tonight (a few people came and left). So for the 1800 plus of you that didn't make it... here is a 30,000 ft view recap.
1) Valero has "committed" approx 75K towards a park for Versailles. This would be located in the boundaries of their [oil spill] zone. The Versailles board is currently looking at options in conjunction with parish government.

Update June 2017
FB Post

In a community where local officials knew or should have known the tank farm had numerous issues before the hurricanes of 2005, it is no surprise that some would misrepresent an industrial solid waste buffer area as a safe site selection for recreational baseball. To purposely bring children, women of child bearing age, and the elderly (grandparents) to this location is just wrong.  

Reposted from October 2016

Before making any decisions [on new ballpark locations], an independent laboratory should conduct environmental and health risk analysis for heavy metals, PAHs, and other toxins in the soil, ground water, and air. 

All soils at parish playgrounds and ball parks should be screened for lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and nickel, and, depending on the results, additional testing and soil removal should be conducted. Initial screenings cost as little as $10 per sample.

St Bernard Parish Recreation ball park proposal for area of Murphy Oil spill in close proximity to the solid waste surface impoundments, located just east of this site recommendation.


Notice the oil booms in the earthen conveyance ditch.  As an existing solid waste unit, the facility receives a waiver from the State required buffer zone between the solid waste units and its property line. There is another State required buffer zone between solid waste units and nearby churches. The waiver or exemption does not mention future site selections for a recreation sports park.

this is the same area where oily waste water can be held for WWTP malfunctions or rain events

North of Judge Perez between Jacob and Despaux and Judge Perez and Missouri

Our children deserve safe and healthy places to play.

Do we have that much surplus money in the local budget to afford a brand new ball park?  Especially after investing about $22 million in Val Reiss?

If we are going to develop a brand new ball park, shouldn’t we explore all options?  Other sites include the ball field next to the communication towers, or acquisition of vacant land along St Bernard Highway between Octavia and Plaza or between Lena and Corinne.  The Octavia-Plaza site is for sale, was a former trailer park, and has access from both highways (Judge Perez and St Bernard).

Funding sources could include the $3 million Murphy oil spill Cy Pres fund, the Chalmette Refining settlement funds, grants and donations. These funds should also be considered for improvements to our existing playgrounds and ball parks, such as Violet park, or for the development of a skate board park. 

Before making any decisions, an independent laboratory should conduct environmental and health risk analysis for heavy metals, PAHs, and other toxins in the soil, ground water, and air. 

All soils at parish playgrounds and ball parks should be screened for lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and nickel, and, depending on the results, additional testing and soil removal should be conducted. Initial screenings cost as little as $10 per sample.