The dog run at Herbert Von King Park is closed seemingly indefinitely after elevated levels of arsenic and mercury were discovered in the soil.
Soil testing found the chemicals in “moderate exceedances” of state residential soil standards at surface level, according to a parks department spokesperson, with “more significant” contamination discovered three to six inches deep.
The department did not share the full report or the exact levels discovered. It had initially said the dog run was closed “due to the potential presence of contamination.”
Based on the findings, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene recommended parks “block off the affected areas,” a DOHMH spokesperson said. Other sections of the park do not present a risk of exposure, officials said, and remain open as normal.
Signs informed patrons that the dog run is closed for soil remediation. Photo by Kirstyn Brendlen
The department has not said when the dog run might reopen. The soil testing was conducted as part of a planned full reconstruction of the area, with construction set to begin in fall 2027.
In the meantime, the agency is allowing off-leash hours at Herbert Von King Park before 9 a.m. and after 9 p.m. But dog owners were frustrated by the long closure and by a lack of communication from the parks department.
Sophie Torri and her corgi, Shamis, moved to the area earlier this summer. The fenced-in dog run was a “selling point” for the neighborhood, she said, since it lets Shamis run, play fetch and meet other dogs in a contained space without kids or other dangers. They visited at least once a day until it closed abruptly last week.
Signs posted on the fence say the dog run is closed “for soil remediation,” and thanks patrons for their patience “as we improve your park.”
Torri figured the closure would be temporary, and that she and Shamis would visit every day until it reopened.
Beyond the signs hung in the park, Torri said she hadn’t seen any updates or information from the city, and learned about the details of the closure from a Brooklyn Paper reporter while she walked with Shamis on Aug. 20.
She worried that Shamis could have ingested the contaminated soil while playing.
“There was a lot of mud … there was no grass, so it was mostly just muddy bark,” she said. “They would end up rolling in it, and he likes to play with a ball, and I know he’s gotten it all up in his mouth.”
One dog owner said the run was often muddy, and worried her dog had ingested the soil. Photo by Kirstyn Brendlen
George Lozefski, Soils Technician & Education Coordinator at the New York City Soil & Water Conservation District and Director of Education at The Urban Soils Institute, said both arsenic and mercury can occur naturally in the soil, though usually at low levels. Higher concentrations are typically a result of human activity like manufacturing, trash incineration, even use of cars and vehicles.
Arsenic is used in “a thousand different chemicals,” he said, including on treated wood, and is “one of the most common things we find,” in New York City soils, along with lead. Mercury isn’t found as often.
“When you look at Herbert Von King Park, you need to look at what the park land use history is … what was there before the park? What were they doing in the park since it was built?” he said.
What was then the City of Brooklyn acquired the land by condemnation in 1857 and famous designers Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmstead submitted their plans for the park— originally called Tompkins Park — in 1871. Before that, the land was part of a large estate owned by Tunis Johnson.
“In general, arsenic is commonly found in pesticides. It’s commonly found in rodenticides, which are widely used in parks. Even mercury was also,” Lozefski said. “Even if they were used five, 10 or 20 years ago, they’re legacy contaminants. They’re still going to be here, because unfortunately, they’re naturally occurring. They don’t evaporate … for the most part, these metals will stay in the soil forever.”
With regular exposure, both chemicals can cause health issues. Mercury can damage the nervous system, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract, according to the EPA, and arsenic has been linked to several cancers as well as neurological damage and cardiovascular disease.
Dog owners are making use of other lawns in the park. Photo by Kirstyn Brendlen
Lozefski said the “elevated” levels found in the dog run were likely not high enough to present a serious health risk, especially for adults — though the exact results have not been shared. The state’s residential soil standard for arsenic is 16 parts per million; for mercury, it’s .030 parts per million.
At those levels, “you have to be exposed for it for hours and hours,” to receive a harmful dose, Lozefski said, and primary exposure pathways are through inhalation, ingestion or skin contact.
“The dose and the duration of exposure makes the poison,” he said.
Dogs, though, are “doing exactly what we don’t want people to do in contaminated soil,” as they play and dig. Toxicity “probably isn’t an issue,” even for canines, he said, but it’s still best to reduce exposure.
“Unfortunately, there’s no other way to do that, aside from avoid going to the park,” he said.
In a situation like this, Lozefski said the remediation could include a cap of at least 6-12 inches of clean soil on top of the contaminated dirt — deep enough to keep a digging dog from reaching the contaminants.
“You could put geotextiles, you could put gravels and then you could put soil and you could grow grass and you’d have a nice thick barrier to mitigate,” he said. Grass and other plants, while not as common in dog runs, help reduce the bioavailability of toxins by binding them to the soil.
Dog owners face long closure
The exact plans for remediation are not yet clear. Plans for the full reconstruction show that “canine turf” with drainage would be installed throughout the dog run.
When asked whether the dog run would be closed until that project is finished or would be remediated separately, a spokesperson said they “expect to complete the full remediation through the planned capital project.” The design of the capital project has been delayed at least a year, per the Capital Projects Tracker, and construction — once it begins — is expected to take 12-18 months.
Jose Garcia, who was playing with his dog Sunny off-leash on one of the park’s lawns, said they typically visit the dog run about three times a week. Often, he brings other dogs with him, he said.
Plans for the full reconstruction of the dog run include “canine turf.” Image courtesy NYC Parks
Garcia found out the dog run was closed on Aug. 18 when he arrived and saw the signs, and had heard it needed repairs, but was not aware remediation was needed because of contaminated soil.
“Why [didn’t they] say that?” he said.
Sunny needs a lot of exercise, he said, and so far has been having fun in the park outside the dog run.
“Now I don’t want to come here with him,” Garcia said, adding that he feels he would still avoid the dog run after remediation is finished.
“I come here with a lot of dogs, and now I’m going to say no more to this park. I need to find another park, another safe park,” he said.