Zebulon Park Closes After Lead Found in Soil Above Old Landfill

Lead less than a foot below the surface has closed Gill Street Park in Zebulon, triggering an environmental remediation project at a site the town had known for roughly 20 years sits atop an old landfill.

Signs warning visitors about the closure and soil testing went up at the park after testing confirmed elevated lead levels in the shallow soil. The Town of Zebulon owns the park, and under state rules, primary responsibility for cleanup rests with the property owner, placing the remediation burden squarely on the town unless the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality intervenes more directly.

Neighbor Hailey Jackola said she was caught off guard by the discovery. "It is worrisome. Especially me being a renter here," she said.

The park sits above one of approximately 33 known pre-regulatory landfill sites scattered across Wake County — dumps established before modern solid-waste regulations took effect and therefore not subject to the engineering controls, liners, or monitoring systems required today. The shallow depth of the elevated lead readings, less than 12 inches down, puts the contamination within reach of children digging in the dirt or pets rooting around the ground.

Despite the town's awareness of the landfill material beneath the park dating back about two decades, testing wasn't initiated until 2024, when Zebulon contacted DEQ while evaluating the site for possible redevelopment. DEQ did not become formally involved until that point. The agency has since recommended that the town hire a licensed environmental engineering consultant and evaluate the site through the state's Pre-Regulatory Landfill Program.

Town and DEQ officials said testing and remediation decisions are being coordinated with licensed professionals and follow state protocols. No timeline for reopening has been announced.

The gap between knowing the park sat over a landfill and actually testing the soil raises pointed questions: who should have required or funded earlier action, and how many other municipal parks across Wake County may sit above similar untested fills? Zebulon's situation could push neighboring communities to inventory their own parks and redevelopment parcels before the next closure catches residents off guard.