The process to remediate elevated levels of arsenic and lead in the soil at Park Crest Elementary School has begun. And now, Garland ISD‘s board of trustees has voted to test the soil at Sam Houston Middle School. The board was presented three options from which to choose.
Possible options
Option 1 – Testing levels would go as deep as 24” and include 600 samples. The samples would be tested for 22 different metals. Option 1 cost would be $179,200.
Option 2 – Testing would be done at two depth intervals – 0” – 1” and 1” – 6” and 253 samples would be taken. The samples would be tested for lead and arsenic only. The cost for this option is $68,500. In addition, it was the option recommended by GISD administration.
There was also an Option 2B that would cost $99,000 and include samisples from as deep as 12”. Sampling would be done by a drilling rig.
The board of trustees voted in favor of Option 2. The decision was made based on sampling done at Park Crest ES. There, the soil was tested up to 12” deep. However, no problems were identified deeper than 6” and no metals except lead and arsenic were found.
Director of Facilities, Planning and Construction Services Javier Fernandez said that more investigation will be done if additional concerns are discovered.
He added that the entire Sam Houston MS property will be tested, not just the back part that is closest to Park Crest ES.
Cleanup at Park Crest ES, across the street, had begun in late August. Remediation is also being done at a number of homes in the area as well as in Stream 2C4.
Terracon Soil Sampling Services, located in Dallas, will do the soil testing.
August 5 meeting
A GISD representative had said that the soil at Sam Houston MS would be tested at a Thursday, Aug. 5, meeting at Garland’s City Hall. Eric Delgado from the Environmental Protection Agency, representatives from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other environmental agencies were in attendance. Additionally, representatives from GISD, city of Garland and the Meadowlark Concerned Citizens Group were there.