On February 4, 2015, the DEC and DOH presented the results from the additional soil sampling performed on the school property in Middleport last August to the Roy-Hart school board. The findings show that most all the school property except for the football field previously remediated should be cleaned up to attain the state agency goal of 20 PPM maximum of soil arsenic. This includes a couple of courtyards.
Sample points were spread over a 100 by 100 foot grid. There were 109 locations where multiple samples were taken at different depths totaling 604 samples in all. Of the 109 locations, 87 had arsenic levels above 20 PPM with the maximum being 95 PPM.
The DEC proposes excavating most areas to a one foot depth but there are some areas that will need to be dug 18 and 24 inches deep. It may be necessary to go deeper in some areas depending on additional sampling during excavation. Further sampling will be performed to determine if the soil under the parking lots is contaminated to the degree requiring remediation.
The DEC would like to begin this summer. There will probably be three phases with the first phase remediating the area known as the field hockey field located behind the junior high school in the south east section of the school property.
The schedule is to finalize the design for the remediation/reconstruction by May, mobilize the construction crews by June and begin excavation mid June. It was hoped that Phase one could be completed with reconstruction and new turf by the beginning of the school year.
A fence will surround the work area to keep people out and away from exposed soil.
To gain access to the work area a roadway will be constructed along the eastern side of the school property. A truck staging area will be built near the work site but the roadway will be wide enough to support additional staging as necessary. Smaller trucks will be used for hauling soil in and out (no double tandem trucks). Water trucks will periodically spray down the area to reduce dust. Dust monitoring devices will be strategically placed around the area.
In order to meet the construction schedule the school board must make a decision whether to have phase one started or not by March 4th. The target for completion of the entire school property is sometime between 2016 and 2018.
