MOORESVILLE, N.C. — As WCNC Charlotte continues to report on risky levels of carcinogens and radioactive material embedded in coal ash underneath a Mooresville day care, town leaders say soil samples in a residential area were found to have levels of radium deemed acceptable by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
A Friday news release from the town government shares the four soil samples came from Reed Creek Park area, located between I-77 and US-21. The samples were collected by town staff on Aug. 14, 2024, with results returned more than a month later.
The town said it reviewed the results with the EPA, which showed the levels for radium 226 and radium 228 were within the natural background levels. Those levels are less than five picocuries per gram (pCi/g). The picocuries per gram measurement reflects the concentration of radioactive material according to the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality.
WCNC Charlotte reviewed the results, which showed the highest reading from one sample of radium 226 was at 1.931 pCi/g. The lowest was at 0.552 pCi/g. For radium 228, the highest reading was at 3.096 pCi/g, while the lowest was at 0.508 pCi/g.
The town's news release said the testing was prompted by a letter sent to the EPA by Earthjustice and Southern Environmental Law Center.
"The Town’s goal is to give the public a level of comfort that Town properties are safe to be used and enjoyed by all citizens. The Town will continue to investigate any allegations of contamination on Town properties with appropriate local, State, and Federal agencies to ensure all requirements are met," a statement in the news release read. "We continue to work in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the regulating agencies of coal ash, and Iredell County Health Department to disseminate information."
The testing of the Reed Creek Park area comes amidst a WCNC Charlotte investigation into coal ash discovered beneath a Mooresillve Tutor Time day care location. Testing by experts who worked with WCNC Charlotte found that the levels of carcinogens and radioactivity there were deemed "unacceptable". One expert said the elevated levels of arsenic and radium he analyzed were "a cocktail of toxic elements". Arsenic levels were, on average, 69 times higher than North Carolina's own soil remediation goals and about 13 times higher than average levels found in natural soil.