UPDATE: Sections of Ball Field Adjacent to New Lebanon School Fenced Off

Statement from Greenwich Public Schools, Friday, April 25, 2015

Previous Investigation

A Limited Phase II Environmental Site Investigation was conducted for the New Lebanon School. This Investigation included the collection of three soil samples from the adjacent baseball field. Two of the three samples contained arsenic at levels above the Residential Direct Exposure Criteria established by the CT Dept of Energy and Environmental Protection. As a result of this, the Greenwich Public Schools commissioned a Supplemental Limited Phase II to further investigate the baseball field adjacent to New Lebanon School.

New  Lebanon School New Lebanon School ballfield adjacent to New Lebanon School

New Lebanon School

The back of New Lebanon School, photographed from adjacent Byram Schubert Library. file photo

Soil Investigation and Results

Twenty soil borings were advanced and a total of twenty soil samples were collected in a grid-like pattern across the field. The soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-1’ below ground surface. Five samples, of the 20 collected, contained arsenic at levels above the Residential Direct Exposure Criteria (RDEC).

Conclusions

GPS is working in concert with The Town of Greenwich Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Public Works as well as the Town of Greenwich Health Department to evaluate the issues at the Site.

As a precautionary measure and at the direction of the Greenwich Health Department in consultation with the Town’s environmental consultant, the areas of the Site containing arsenic levels above the RDEC will be fenced off on Friday. During the next month, we will be performing additional analysis of the soils present at the Site in order to better define the areas that exceed the Residential Direct Exposure Criteria and identify the steps necessary to fully open the field to the public. We will have results by June 1, 2015 and will be able to discuss the next steps at that time.

See also:

New Leb School Environmental Assessment Reveals Arsenic

New Leb Building Committee Update from Peter Tesei

New Lebanon School Scheme C: Avoids “FEMA Shacks,” Preserves Town Green