ST MICHAEL’S – Oct. 9, 2004 - St Michael’s golf course in United Kingdom will be closed for up to four years after arsenic was discovered rising to the surface on the first nine holes. The potentially deadly poison was discovered by Halton Council contractors testing the soil before they did renovation work.

The course closes on October on 24 while a massive £4m plus clean-up operation begins. The council hopes to get funding for this from the environment agency. The arsenic will be 'capped' with concrete to stop it coming through to the top soil.

St Michael's, a council run course, was partially built on a former landfill site. The council is considering opening the back nine holes in the spring, subject to essential maintenance to prevent water logging.

The council says the first nine holes can still be used until the end of the season, as long as people wash their hands before eating food after playing, scraping soil off your shoes and don't retrieve golf balls from the brook.

People are also advised to keep their dogs on a lead. Club members will get their money back for any time lost on their 12-month passes, and club pro Darren Chapman will be on hand to advise them on alternative courses.

Arsenic is a semi-metallic, naturally-occurring chemical. Heavy exposure can cause cancer, diabetes, and thickening of the skin, liver disease and problems with the digestive system. The Council believes there have been no medical referrals with symptoms related directly to arsenic.

http://www.thisiswidnes.co.uk/cheshire/widnes/news/WIDNES_NEWS1.html