EPA finds contamination below three Augusta playgrounds

AUGUSTA - Environmental Protection Agency officials have confirmed elevated levels of arsenic and lead have been found beneath the soil in three playgrounds at an Augusta public housing complex. <br> <br> Officials said Wednesday that a cleanup effort will begin next year. <br> <br> Soil samples taken in September showed the contamination at the site, which was a fertilizer plant owned by Virginia Carolina Chemical Company before it closed in 1957. <br> <br> EPA officials said that even though the soil tested positive for contamination, the toxic materials are 18 inches under the soil in the three playing areas, reducing the risk of exposure. <br> <br> The cleanup has been agreed to by Exxon Mobil Corporation, which acquired Virginia Carolina after it closed.