The National Park Service has announced a new plan to address the environmental damage caused by lead paint.
The parks, which have been in charge of protecting the national parks for more than a century, say they will begin using plastic bottles as litter and will ban all plastic trash cans within two years.
It’s a big win for people like David, who has been using a plastic bag to dispose of trash in his yard.
The plastic bags were not only an annoyance to the homeowner, but a hazard to wildlife, he said.
The parks have not yet identified the source of the lead paint problem, but the new plan means that the agency can now focus its efforts on cleaning up the contamination from the lead.
“The water quality is in dire need of improvement, especially at this time of year,” said Parks and Recreation director Jennifer Cates.
Cates said that plastic bags are a common and acceptable trash can choice, and the parks will continue to use plastic bags.
“I’ve seen plastic bags being thrown into ponds all over the area,” David said.
“We can’t have plastic bags in the water anymore.”
The National Park service will also expand its programs to the park.
In addition to the plastic bag ban, the parks are planning to expand their water conservation efforts, which will include installing new filtration systems, new pumps and upgrading the wastewater treatment plant.
Parks and Recreation officials are hoping that the new efforts will help address the lead problem in the park, but they acknowledge that the water quality will still be an issue.
If you or anyone you know is concerned about water quality or the water they drink, call the National Park Services hotline at 1-866-732-3247.
Follow NBCBLK on Facebook and Twitter
