EAST PALESTINE, Ohio - The Village of East Palestine has announced on Thursday that the village's soil has been confirmed to be safe for its annual Easter egg hunt following evaluation from the U.S. EPA.

The egg hunt will be held on Saturday April 8 at East Palestine City Park. 

Village Mayor, Trent Conaway says he's pleased to know that the soil is safe for the community to use this weekend thanking the U.S. EPA for its work.

"We want to thank the U.S. EPA for their comprehensive evaluation, which has allowed us to put any concerns to rest and focus on the upcoming events that will be hosted in our park again," Mayor Conaway said.

The EPA has conducted a comprehensive assessment of the park's soils including sampling and lab analysis to ensure it meets the village's strict safety standards to be considered for public use.

Seven locations were sampled with two samples collected at each. One from the surface and one below the ground surface. EPA officials tested for chemicals including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, dioxins and furans. 

Results show that the park's soil is "well within safe limits with no harmful levels of contaminants."

Additionally, the village has cleaned the park's recreational equipment including the pool, tennis courts and the playground. All mulch and landscape fabric has been removed.

The playground was power washed and disinfected, followed by the installation of new mulch and landscape fabric.