The soil at Auburn's iconic Toomer's Corner is officially poison-free for the first time since Harvey Updyke initially poisoned the grounds in December of 2010.
A memo provided to Auburn University's facilities management department said the soil is contaminant-free, meaning the site is now clear for redevelopment with new transplanted trees.
Initial testing in January 2011 revealed tebuthiuron, an ingredient in Spike80DF herbicide, levels to be as high as 51,700 parts per billion in the soil surrounding the historic Toomer's Oaks.
The historic trees were removed from the site on April 23, 2013.
While testing in October 2013 revealed the presence of detectable tebuthiuron amounts, the most recent survey conducted in April of 2014 reported the highest tebuthiuron levels to be no greater than one part per billion at the site.
A water drainage system and a liner are expected to be installed to prevent further contamination of the site.
With the site now cleared of herbicide, a redevelopment project of Toomer's Corner, which will include transplanting trees to the site, is expected to move forward.
The project is estimated to cost between $1.2 million and $2 million, according to Brandon Marcello of al.com.
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