Melreese Country Club to reopen following closure due to arsenic levels

Site to serve as future home of Major League Soccer team in Miami

MIAMI – Just days after it was shut down due to possible high levels of arsenic contamination, Melreese Country Club was ordered to reopen Friday.

Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez announced the move, saying an independent firm found that arsenic levels at the golf course were the same as others around the country.

Recommended Videos



File: CLICK to read Melreese Country Club Testing Evaluation

"SCS Engineers, an environmental consulting and contractor firm, was asked by the city of Miami to review data from the city and other sources," Gonzalez said. "In a statement sent to the city today, the firm concluded that 'the new data are generally consistent with historic findings and that existing institutional and engineering controls provide the adequate protection for continued golf course use."

A report earlier in the week said arsenic contamination at the site reached more than twice the legal limit and hazardous debris was found in surface-level soil samples. The club was closed Tuesday as a precaution.

The site is expected to be cleared and used to build a stadium for Miami's new Major League Soccer team.


Recommended Videos