JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — For years, Mary McLeod Bethune Elementary sat on toxic land. Something Willie Carodine didn't know back when he was a kid.
He was in the third and sixth grade when he attended the school. He used to play football on the field.
"I was a happy lil' boy," Carodine said.
However, as a man, he is upset. After learning about elevated levels of lead found in the soil, he believes it is the reason why some of his peers were sick. Like many others who live in Jacksonville's Northside, he doesn't trust that the land is clean.
"They should've cleaned it up then," he added.
The Environmental Protection Agency said 98% of the cleanup at the 250 acre site, where the school is located, has been completed. The EPA and the city of Jacksonville are working on a $98 million dollar project to fix the problem and others like it. It's called Project New Ground.
Since 2010, the city said contractors have replaced contaminated soil with clean soil, planted trees, grass and temporarily relocated people who lived in impacted areas. Also, the city says the water is safe to drink.
To Carodine, more need to be done because he doesn't want history to repeat itself.
"This issue is very, very serious," Carodine said.
If you want your water tested, you're encouraged to call the Duval County Health Department at (904) 253-1282.
Any questions or concerns about Project New Ground? The city said residents should reach out to project coordinators at (904) 999-4844.