Arabic version: اكتشاف الرصاص في ساحة لعب روضة أطفال في كابتنز فلات

According to ABC News, routine testing last week found lead levels eight times above the reportable threshold in the playground of a preschool in Captains Flat, New South Wales. The outdoor playground and garden have been closed as a safety measure, while children continue attending the preschool indoors.

The discovery has renewed concern in the former mining town, about 40 kilometres from Canberra, where surface soils were found to contain lead in 2021, roughly four decades after the Lake George gold mine closed. The preschool relocated that year after soil in and around its previous playground was found to be deeply contaminated with lead.

Captains Flat Community Association president Ellanor Pavlovich said it was disappointing that contamination had again been identified after the preschool’s relocation. She said the NSW Environment Protection Authority appeared to be acting swiftly at the preschool, but called for faster progress to address exposure risks on private land and elsewhere in town. The preschool is expected to reopen on Monday, with the EPA saying works will be completed in coming days.

Residents can register from today for a $1 million community fund to remove lead from private properties, including free EPA soil testing intended to inform future mitigation work. Pavlovich said there were concerns the funding might not cover the whole town. Monaro MP Steve Whan said he would seek further funding if needed. The EPA said further testing last week and today identified no additional elevated lead levels and that it was working with the local council and other agencies to reduce exposure risks and create safer outdoor spaces.