Soil Clean Up Scheduled at NVIS
Earlier this year, the soil at the Naches Valley Intermediate School, plus the adjacent Baseball and Softball fields was found to have unacceptable levels of lead and arsenic in their soil. A Department of Ecology project is planned to clean up the contaminated areas in August 2006.
The project will actually include three schools. In addition to our Intermediate school, Gilbert and Robertson elementary schools in Yakima will be addressed. The Department of Ecology officials characterize the contamination as "hot spots" scattered throughout the schools' grounds.
Cleanup at Naches Valley Intermediate may include removal of some contaminated soil but most will be treated through "deep mixing," in which the contaminated dirt is mixed with clean soil to dilute the presence of the toxic metals.
"There is no immediate health hazard," reports Ecology spokeswoman Joyce Redfield-Wilder. She adds that the potential health threat comes from exposure over a long period of time.
The intermediate school and playing fields were built on old orchards which, in the 1940s and '50s, routinely used heavy doses of lead arsenate pesticide. As they break down the heavy metals of Lead and Arsenic remain in the soils. Long-term exposure to elevated levels of arsenic can cause cancer. Similar exposure to lead can harm the nervous system and brain function.
Based on sampling from 2005 and 2006, Naches intermediate and adjacent fields were ranked as a “5” on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the lowest level of hazard. Since it is a public school with younger children playing in the area, the Department of Ecology has determined to include it with the earliest clean-up projects.
This project involving three-schools is estimated to cost about $1.2 million, paid for with funds from the Model Toxics Control Account. That law, pass in 1988, provides funds through a "hazardous substance" tax on chemicals, petroleum products and pesticides.
The soil cleanup project is slated to take place in August which will displace the playground use, Sportsman’s days, the fall Girls Soccer season and may impact Baseball and the Spring Boys Soccer season. Alternate plans are being drawn up to provide spaces for play, Sportsman’s Days, practices and games.