By Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

KINGS MILLS - School officials are scrambling to find alternative football and soccer fields for fall sports while a widening federal probe of lead contamination continues.

Kings district officials said that as a precaution, they have asked U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials to do additional lead soil testing. It will be from the playground areas at Kings Education Center, ball fields behind the center and playground areas at Kings Elementary, all properties within a half mile of Kings High School.

"There is no reason to suspect any kind of contamination at the (center) and (elementary)," Kings Superintendent Charles Mason said. But he said the district wanted to take the extra precaution in light of the EPA's investigation of the nearby site of the Peters Cartridge Co., which used lead in making ammunition until closing in 1944. It is now being considered for EPA Superfund clean-up.

The Kings Knights football squad wasn't scheduled to play its first home game until Sept. 12, on parts of school grounds now closed off while EPA extracts and tests soil samples.

Kings district officials said they expect the federal test results to be completed by Sept. 3, but they are negotiating with other area school districts and owners of nearby Galbraith Field in case they have to hold home football games off school grounds.

"I'm confident that we will have a location or locations secured for future games should that become necessary," said Mason. "If Kings stadium can't be used, "We have some alternatives lining up."

Kings football coach Andy Olds said his players are taking the possibility of no home games as well as can be expected.

"They are taking it really good, but the seniors want to play on their home field... "We'll play hard wherever we have to."

E-mail mclark@enquirer.com