Babe Ruth youth baseball field contaminated with pollutants; 2nd on Southeast Side

A Hegewisch youth baseball field was discovered to have high levels of a metal that can cause brain damage, making it the second ballpark in the area to test positive for toxic contaminants.

A portion of Babe Ruth Field, 12600 S. Carondolet Ave., has concentrations of manganese that exceed federal limits to protect health, the Environmental Protection Agency said in a statement Wednesday. The agency added that the data were preliminary and will need to be confirmed.

“EPA has notified the Babe Ruth board about the preliminary findings and has suggested precautions that should be taken, including maintaining grass cover and limiting disturbing the soil, such as digging holes,” the agency said.

Babe Ruth is a league for players 13 to 18, and youth played on the field as recently as last year. COVID-19 delayed any ball games this year. While league organizers hoped to play some games this summer, it’s unclear whether that will happen given the environmental issues, said Jim Laskowiecki, Hegewisch Babe Ruth treasurer.

“It’s concerning,” Laskowiecki said. “But we’re still waiting to see a plan of action.”

Last week, EPA began cleaning up nearby Hegewisch Little League Field, also on Carondolet Avenue, after determining “conditions at the site present an imminent and substantial threat to the public health, or welfare, or the environment.” That cleanup is estimated to cost almost $700,000, EPA said.

For decades, Little Leaguers at the Hegewisch field have gone on to play at Babe Ruth, Laskowiecki said.

EPA has been testing soil on the Southeast Side as it looks into potential manganese contamination from the nearby Watco Terminal site on 126th Street.

EPA said it sampled soil at Babe Ruth Field last month at the request of the city of Chicago. Last year, the city imposed tougher rules on the handling of manganese to limit exposure to dust generated from such operations.

Both fields are also located near a 67-acre toxic waste site designated for high-priority cleanup. The site, known as Schroud property, was a dumping ground for steel slag for decades through the late 1970s.

Peggy Salazar, director of the Southeast Environmental Task Force, called on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to address pollution in Chicago neighborhoods, particularly on the South and West Sides.

“When this happens in the Southeast Side or the West Side, no one seems to care about the consequences that our kids have to live with,” Salazar said in a statement.

Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.