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Posted: Jun 13, 2023 12:57 PMUpdated: Jun 13, 2023 1:06 PM
Some Caney, Kan. School Properties Contaminated
Chris Freund & Nathan Thompson
Soil remediation was the main concern during Monday night's Caney, Kansas Board of Education meeting.
Test results were given concerning the lead levels on all school properties and the remediation of soil to ensure the safety of students and the community.
On the Lincoln Elementary campus, EPA officials are focusing on a small strip of land near the intersection of Taylor Avenue and Hooker Street. It was also determined that all areas near the football stadium are clear, and no remediation is needed. However, the majority of the meeting was a discussion on the high school campus, where 26 parcels of land were found with lead over the 400 part per million threshold, including the parking lot north of the school.
Superintendent Blake Vargas says the parking lot is at the end of its life and must be replaced, but EPA officials say the lot is a barrier, and the soil can not be disturbed below the lot. Vargas says the parking lot is necessary.
The biggest concern on the high school campus was to the north and the east of the parking lot on the north side of the high school, where soil samples taken resulted in anywhere from 845 ppm to 6,776 ppm. Samples were taken from two to four feet in depth.
Vargas says the district trusts the EPA and their process to remediate the soil, and they will continue to make sure students, staff, and the public are safe on all school properties.
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