Take Action
The consultant contract that's now driving the cleanup analysis passed Council 7 to 0 after residents kept the parks on the agenda for three years. Pressure works. Here's where to apply it.
Write or call City Council
Council controls the budget and approves every contract in this cleanup. A short, specific message from a constituent carries weight: say which park you use, and ask for a published schedule, full funding, and reopening of areas that test clean. Find your council members here.
Show up for public comment
Council meets regularly and agendas are posted in advance at cityordinances.durhamnc.gov. Watch for parks items and sign up to speak. Two minutes at a podium, multiplied by a dozen neighbors, is how this issue got this far.
Email Durham Parks & Recreation
DPR runs the official information hub and the engagement process for the affected parks. Questions and comments go to dprengage@durhamnc.gov. Official updates are posted on the city’s Soil & Property Testing hub.[1]
Join the people already organizing
Organizing on this issue predates this website, and the groups below have done the heavy lifting.[8, 9]
- Durham Contaminated Parks Advocacy Network (DCPAN) is the resident-led network tracking the issue, with its own timeline, contacts, and resources.[8]
- Northgate Park Neighborhood Association keeps a detailed archive of memos, correspondence, and meeting materials.[17]
- Toxic Free NC and the NC Environmental Justice Network have partnered with residents and Duke researchers on remediation questions.[6, 17]
Health questions? Durham County’s Lead Education and Assessment Program offers free guidance at 919-560-4842.[12]