DEQ Soil Assessment Updates & Actions

Following community input, the Town of Zebulon adopted the Gill Street Park Site-Specific Master Plan in November 2025, outlining a phased approach to future improvements at the park.

As the Town moves forward with Phase 1 planning, Gill Street Park has been temporarily closed as part of ongoing coordination with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) during continued evaluation of the site.

Environmental assessment efforts began in early 2024 as part of planning for the site, with testing conducted by environmental firms working with the Town.

Following that work, DEQ conducted investigation activities between January 2025 and January 2026 to better understand site conditions, including potential impacts to soil, groundwater and air. That work included evaluating multiple environmental media types such as soil, groundwater, landfill gas, soil gas and crawlspace air.

DEQ’s investigation includes both the park and adjacent properties, and no concerns related to indoor air or vapor intrusion in homes have been identified to date.

When initial results identified elevated levels of lead in certain areas, the Town restricted access to those locations and implemented protective measures.

As additional information has been developed through the DEQ-led process, the Town is taking further precautionary steps, including closing the park, to support continued evaluation and planning.

Access to the park has been restricted to limit contact with impacted areas while evaluation continues.

“This process began with proactive testing in 2024, and we took immediate steps to address what we found,” said Mayor Jessica Daniels Harrison. “As we continue working with DEQ to better understand the site, this closure allows us to move forward with the next phase of evaluation while keeping our community informed. We understand this may raise questions for families, and we are committed to sharing information as it becomes available.”

Testing conducted to date has not identified impacts to drinking water or indoor air. According to DEQ, potential exposure is associated with contact with soil, such as digging or ingestion.

As part of continued engagement and implementation of the adopted plan, the Town will host a community meeting with DEQ to discuss this further for impacted residents. It will be held on Tuesday, April 21 to review Phase 1 site concepts, answer questions and gather additional input from residents.

For questions related to health, residents are encouraged to contact their healthcare provider or Wake County Public Health. The Town will also provide an online option for residents to submit questions and receive updates as more information becomes available.

For more information about the pre-regulatory landfill program you can click here. DEQ will be notifying impacted properties via direct and electronic mail.

The Town will continue working with DEQ and environmental firms to guide next steps, and updates will be shared as more information becomes available.

Reports 

• 2026 DEQ Soil Report
• 2026 DEQ Delineation, Groundwater, Well, and Vapor Report
• 2026 DEQ Information Sheet- English
• 2026 DEQ Information Sheet- Spanish

Next Steps

The Town of Zebulon is working with experts to determine the best path forward for environmental remediation at Gill Street Park.

The Town of Zebulon has entered an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and have begun further site testing to engage in remediation projects. We hope to have next steps soon.

A community meeting will be held at Mt. Zion Holiness Church at 6 PM on April 21st, 2026. 

Communication Updates

Friday, March 24, 2026 – The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) mailed notifications to property owners and tenants in areas associated with Gill Street Park.

Monday, March 30, 2026 – The Town of Zebulon temporarily closed Gill Street Park.

Monday, March 30, 2026 – The Town of Zebulon conducted in-person outreach to impacted residential properties, hand-delivering information provided by DEQ and Wake County Public Health.

Monday, March 30, 2026 – The Town of Zebulon issued a public notice of the park closure. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Cp3U2kFds/ 

Tuesday, March 31, 2026 – The Town of Zebulon mailed postcards to residents within the Gill Street Park neighborhood.

Tuesday, April 21 - Community Meeting https://www.townofzebulon.org/events?id=54428887

The Town of Zebulon will host a community meeting on Tuesday, April 21, at 6 p.m. at Mt. Zion Holiness Church to provide an update on Gill Street Park.

Representatives from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Wake County Public Health will be present to share available information, answer questions and provide public health guidance related to the ongoing environmental evaluation of the site.

This meeting is intended to provide residents and families with an opportunity to hear directly from state and county partners serving as the technical and public health authorities, and to receive the most current information available at this time.

Residents are encouraged to attend, ask questions and stay informed as the Town continues coordination with DEQ and Wake County Public Health.

Question Form
The Town is collecting questions from the community related to Gill Street Park. Please use the link below to submit your questions in advance so they can be reviewed and addressed as information becomes available.

https://www.cognitoforms.com/TownOfZebulon/GillStreetAreaLeadContaminationQuestionCard

200 E Stronach Ave, Zebulon, NC 27597, USA

Health and Environmental Safety

We will always take the health and safety of our residents and parkgoers with the utmost seriousness and we wanted to provide additional information that may contextualize the soil testing results.

The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality monitors potentially hazardous sites and uses a scoring matrix to assess risk. The NCDEQ placed Gill Street Park at 458 out of 624 sites, placing the park low on the NCDEQ's risk rankings.

Wake County has more information on lead contamination and safety here.

2024 Soil Sampling & Actions

On April 17, the Town of Zebulon closed off the Privette Street and northern perimeters of Gill Street Park as the Town engages in environmental remediation projects on the site.

This decision was made following proactive soil testing in the park as the Parks and Recreation Department looked to build a new playground and explore installing bathrooms for Gill Street Park. Since Gill Street Park is located on top of a former landfill and constructed in the 1960s, soil testing was a proactive measure taken to ensure we’re safeguarding the health and safety of our residents and parkgoers.

On May 29, a full soil testing report was submitted to the Town on Gill Street Park. The report confirmed that lead levels in certain parts of the park exceeded residential soil standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. Additionally, experts from Mid-Atlantic confirmed that initial remediation steps following the preliminary soil results were appropriate best practices for remediation at Gill Street Park.

Closed off areas are made up of areas whose soil testing results exceeded residential standards including two perimeters of the park located at the northern and western sides. Areas closed off are undeveloped spaces and are currently marked by orange tree fencing sectioning them off.

In addition, sections inside the play areas whose soil testing results exceeded state standards have already undergone initial remediation projects. Additional mulch was added inside the park play area, increasing the barrier between play surfaces and park soil, a common and effective remediation technique in similar situations.

In August of 2024, The Town of Zebulon entered an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and have begun further site testing to engage in remediation projects. We hope to have next steps soon.

The Town of Zebulon is committed to the Gill Street community and maintaining open spaces for recreation, play, and community gathering. We are in the process of exploring how we can best serve the community and will be actively seeking feedback from community members so we can best meet their needs.

You can find the full 2024 report here.

Accessing Other Zebulon Parks

While only parts of Gill Street Park are closed off and we encourage you to enjoy the amenities available, the Town of Zebulon has a series of incredible parks to visit while we work on the remediation process at Gill Street Park. You can find a list of other parks here. Parks like Whitley Park and Community Park have similar services and activities as Gill Street Park, allowing continued recreation and play experiences for your family.

The GoWake SmartRide program offers free public transportation in our community that will allow you to access other parks in Zebulon. The SmartRide program is a point-to-point, on-demand rideshare program that will pick you up and drop you off in Zebulon and surrounding communities.