EDITORIAL : PLAYING WITH FIRE; WHY IS LEAD-TAINTED PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT IN PARKS STILL AROUND A YEAR AFTER THE CITY PROMISED TO REMOVE IT?

SAFETY first should always come into play for children and parents who rely on city parks for recreation, exercise and just plain fun.

Unfortunately, that's not the case at several city parks.

County health officials have found high levels of lead on equipment used by children at Los Angeles city parks, including Traveltown at Griffith Park, the Sylmar Recreation Center, Shadow Ranch in West Hills and three parks elsewhere in the city.

Most disturbing is that when high levels of lead were discovered on equipment in county parks more than a year ago, city officials gave absolute assurance there was no danger to children in city parks.

Now, parents are learning along with those same city officials that that's not the case.

Even though the city often acts in haste with little thought to the consequences, it's hard to believe that's the case here.

George Stigile, an assistant general manager of city parks who promised in February that there wouldn't be a piece of equipment in the city of Los Angeles with lead paint within a week, seemed truly stunned by the findings, demanding a retest.

He said the equipment is only a few years old and was certified by the manufacturer to be lead-free.

Of the 128 sites the county Health Department determined were highly used by young children, the study found six that had substantial chipping or flaking paint.

City officials say it's possible that volunteers might have repainted some surfaces with unapproved paint, causing the problem.

Parents should not panic. But there is definite reason to be concerned.

Day-care centers are located in five of the contaminated parks, and in those parks officials found some patches of paint with as much as 300 times more lead than county standards allow.

Epidemiologist Joan Chen said the county recorded 360 cases of lead poisoning this year, although lead-based paint was banned two decades ago. Childhood lead poisoning can lead to brain damage, learning disabilities or a loss in IQ.

However, for there to be a serious risk, children would have to actually eat the lead paint chips and dust over an extended time period. Most children who have visited the six sites probably are not at risk of lead poisoning, the experts said.

The City Council needs to conduct a thorough review to see why, nearly a year after officials promised the problem was corrected, some equipment still poses a danger to children.

Parents shouldn't have to play guessing games when it comes to their child's safety.