Media Contact Only:  MosesAlexander Greene, (202) 673-7684

Today, the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced that its annual playground resurfacing project has begun and is projected to be completed by April 30, 2008.

Previously, the agency used wood chips approved by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) as protective surfacing. This year, DPR has decided to go a step further in using Engineered Wood Fibers (EWF) as its surfacing material. EWF not only has better shock-absorbing qualities than the CPSC-approved wood chips, but also meets Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility needs.

“DPR is committed to maintaining safe, compliant, and user-friendly playgrounds,” said Clark E. Ray, director of the agency. “With the majority of playground injuries in the US due to falls from play equipment, DPR is working to ensure that the type and depth of protective surfacing used on our playgrounds helps to reduce such injuries in the District of Columbia.”

DPR manages 77 playgrounds throughout the District’s eight wards.