Portion Of Pine Banks Temporarily Closed In Malden

MALDEN, MA — The Pine Banks Board of Trustees announced Wednesday that a section of the park’s wooded area will be temporarily closed due to elevated levels of lead.

Fencing will be put in place along the affected area, which is described as being on the southwest side of the rugby field. The elevated lead levels were discovered while conducting soil testing, which is routinely done when landscaping projects are being planned.

According to the city, the elevated lead levels could be caused by past use of the park to dispose of ash that resulted from burning trash. In addition, that area was also used to store surplus construction materials in the past. The Board and park management will closely monitor the soil condition moving forward.