Re: soil contamination on the high line

**a*@aol.com**

On the High Line: 

As a member of Manhattan Community Board 4, the community board in which the Highline is sited, and a longtime community gardener in the area I have some knowledge of the issues relating to the volunteer plants that have sprung up over the years between the tracks and the reasons for their being removed.

Safety: 

While the visual image of plants growing through the abandoned train tracks of the Highline is quite attractive, the dirt and gravel bed is filled with old spent diesel fuel and the old railroad detrius of decades.  This raised walkway will be an active public park, and for liability and health issues, for the re-inforcement of this long railroad trestle, and for it's eventual planting, the old soil, lead paint, and all polluntants will have to be either removed or contained. 

 Design: The Highline will have stretches of attractive plantings, put instead of the random volunteers that have appeared, the plantings will be chosen, and the "volunteers" which can often be invasive, will be removed.  

While I have no direct connection to the planning of the "High Line," project, except for voting for it at various stages of city review, I am delighted to share the High Line website with you. http://www.thehighline.org/

Best wishes, 
Adam Honigman
Volunteer
Clinton Community Garden

-----Original Message-----
From: agrenner@artsci.wustl.edu
To: community_garden@mallorn.com
Sent: Fri, 23 Sep 2005 14:09:17 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: [cg] soil contamination on the high line

I saw a presentation on New York's High Line the other night. According to the 
presentation, the plan is to rip out all of the volunteer plants that have over 
the years sprung up. Part of the reason given for pulling them up and 
replanting is that the soil is contaminated (where the contaminated soil that 
is removed is going wasn't addressed). My first thought was, "aren't the plants 
that are growing there now working to decontaminate the soil." 

-- Tony

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The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org

To post an e-mail to the list:  community_garden@mallorn.com

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