Please see attached for 10/15/11 Public Update on GHS Fields.
JOINT RELEASE
Greenwich Board of Education and Town of Greenwich, Greenwich, CT
Saturday, October 15, 2011
GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING UPDATE
Field 6 Opens This Weekend!
Site Status Recap:
West (back) Parking Lot – The west parking lot is open for use.
Fields 6 & 7 (Turf) – Field 6 will be open, with conditions for use, on Sunday, October 16, 2011. Field 7 remains closed and in order to use Field 6, additional adult supervision designated by Town officials, must be provided to restrict access to Field 7. Interim remediation efforts for Field 7 are nearing completion. The interim remediation included removing shallow soil (the top 6 inches), disposing of the soil at a permitted facility, and restoring the area with clean topsoil and grass. A report of activities will be submitted to EPA, DEEP, and DPH along with a request to open Field 7 for use.
Fields 3 & 4 (Turf) – Fencing has been installed around fields 3 & 4. Plans outlining the interim remediation efforts for these fields were submitted to the EPA, DEEP and DPH for approval. Once approved, the interim remediation will be implemented and a request to open fields 3 & 4 and the bleacher access will be submitted.
Original time estimates for opening these fields next week have been delayed.
Fields 2 &5 (Grass) –Interim remediation plans for field 2 were submitted to the EPA, DEEP, and DPH which details removing soil from a small area of shallow soil contamination. This work is tentatively scheduled to begin October 14, 2011, pending regulatory approval. This will allow for fall field maintenance to be completed before winter. At field 5, the results
of testing of shallow soil show no PCBs present in the field area and low levels of PCBs (less
than 1ppm) in the grass covered outfield.
Therefore, a request was submitted to the regulators to open field 5 for use.
Environmental Study Status Recap:
Immediate Next Steps: A comprehensive
environmental study of the soil beneath the
proposed MISA Auditorium began in early
October. Soil samples were collected and are in
the process of being analyzed. Draft study
findings will be available October 28, 2011.
Public Health: As described by the DPH at our
public meeting, to be exposed to health risks
associated with PCBs, one must come into
contact with the material (i.e., directly touching
it, breathing it, or ingesting it). The potential
risks will also vary by individual depending on
how often the contact is made, the general health
of the individual, age, etc. Areas of potential
environmental concern will be removed or
fenced (thus isolating people from contacting the
materials). All facilities will remained closed
until they are “cleared” for use by EPA, DEEP
and DPH.
Since the discovery of PCB impacts during construction
activities, the Town has moved quickly to address this
issue. The Town has performed a site-wide
investigation of surface soil and is performing Interim
Remediation Measures (IRM) with approval by the
EPA, DEEP and DPH to allow utilization of athletic
facilities.
A full-scale environmental investigation and
remediation program is also being developed for the
entire site. The full-scale program involves three
phases. The first phase will include investigation of soil,
groundwater, and on-site surface water and sediments.
This investigation will be developed in conjunction with
state and federal regulatory agencies and then
implemented. The second phase will be to finalize
remedial plans to address impacted areas identified
during the site investigation. The remedial plan will
require review and approval from the state and federal
regulatory agencies. The third stage will be to
implement the approved remedial plans.
Middle School Interscholastic Sports Program:
The Interscholastic Sports Program at all three schools is up and running. The game schedule for all three schools will begin the week of October 17th.
Ongoing Communications:
Public Updates will continue on a monthly basis at a minimum, and more frequently as needed. The Public Updates are posted on the GPS Web Site, and are sent via email and/or Parentlink to GPS families, GHS neighbors, community officials, and the local media.
Also, the Town of Greenwich and its contractor AECOM will develop a Public Participation Plan (PPP) available beginning early November. This plan will outline our communications and outreach program for the project, which will include the schedule for full-scale environmental remediation.
For all information requests, please contact:
Kim Eves, Greenwich Public Schools Director of Communications
203-625-7415 or kim_eves@greenwich.k12.ct.us
