JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Residents of Northside Jacksonville are voicing their frustration over the city’s delayed response to addressing the long-standing ash contamination at Lonnie Miller Park. Many are asking why it has taken so long for the city to begin removing the hazardous material, which dates back to the early 20th century. In response to these concerns, the City of Jacksonville hosted a Community Open House to provide information about the ongoing cleanup efforts.
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The city’s Solid Waste and Parks & Recreation departments are moving forward with the Ash Remediation Project as part of Project New Ground, a city-wide initiative aimed at addressing environmental contamination. The project’s goal is to remove ash left behind by waste incineration that occurred throughout the city in the early 1900s.
Jeff Foster, Environmental Engineer Manager with the City’s Solid Waste Division, explained that the cleanup is divided into two phases. Phase one focuses on removing contaminated soils from the park, while phase two will involve remodeling the park.
“What we’ve done is segregated the fence line. West of that is OK to be in, east of that is where we have impacted materials from the incinerator ash that we are now going out there and cleaning up,” Foster said.
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While the contamination does not pose an immediate health threat to the surrounding community, the city is moving forward with the cleanup to prevent potential long-term health risks.
Despite reassurances, many residents, including long-time park visitors, are frustrated by the delay. Jacqueline Harmon, a resident who has been walking in the park for years, questioned why it took so long for the city to address the issue.
“After all of these years, why now?” Harmon asked. “I contacted the office trying to figure out what was going on because there are a lot of seniors that walk in the park in the morning.”
Foster responded to these concerns by explaining that the city prioritized cleaning residential areas first before tackling parks and commercial properties.
“We are cleaning up all the residential properties first before we move into the larger scale, parks, and commercial properties,” Foster said.
The city has made significant progress with the project, having already completed more than 98% of the cleanup at other sites, including the Forest Street Incinerator and 5th & Cleveland Incinerator locations.
The cleanup at Lonnie Miller Park is expected to take about a year. Phase one, which involves removing contaminated soils, is currently underway. Phase two, which includes park remodeling, is projected to cost over $12 million.
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