WATCH: How Miami Twp.’s Layer Park has transformed through contamination cleanup

Tucked in the northeast corner of Miami Twp. is one of nine parks managed by the Miami Twp. Parks & Recreation Department. Layer Park is located at 4999 Cordell Dr. and was originally called Bush-Dell Park until its renaming in honor of original Miami Township Park Board member and long-time trustee Berman E. Layer in 1998.

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In 2015, soil samples from Layer Park revealed lead contamination left over from a former skeet shooting range located on the park site decades ago.

Soil testing of the park and some surrounding residential property in February of 2016 showed the highest lead level was 60 times above the EPA safe number.

Cleanup and removal of the lead from the park was managed under the EPA’s Superfund Removal Action. The work was completed through the summer of 2017 with thousands of tons of lead-contaminated soil being removed from the east side of the park where many trees were also removed.

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Cleanup is now complete, and the east side of the park has been planted with new trees where the majority of the lead was removed.

Layer Park amenities include a shelter house with restrooms and picnic table seating for 56 people. Two basketball half courts and a baseball diamond for sports recreation are available. Playground equipment including swing sets, a sand box, and a play structure are in the park. A newly paved parking lot at the entrance has spaces for 15 cars.

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Signage at the park gate indicates the park will reopen in the spring of 2018.

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