Point Higgins Principal Michael Hankey updated the Board of Education on diesel contamination found under the school and on remediation steps underway. He told the board the air in occupied spaces has remained safe, while subsurface and a water-holding area under the building have shown higher readings that are being actively monitored.

Hankey said contractors from Nortek worked on the site but pulled back after a dry spell; subsequent rain daylighted additional diesel that was contained with booms and absorbents. He said the North Tongass Fire Department has assisted and borough staff and district maintenance have adjusted procedures following recommendations from a Nortek representative who visited town.

"The building air in the occupied spaces have been safe the whole time," Hankey said. He added that ventilation changes under the building over the previous 48 hours had ‘‘significantly improved’’ readings in the affected subsurface spaces.

Hankey described the near-term plan as installing perforated pipe in the highest-reading areas, covering those areas with a vapor barrier, and actively ventilating the subsurface space so vapors are routed away from occupied rooms. He said the district believes there is "probably a little bit less than a thousand gallons that have not been recovered," but said it is not known whether all of that material is directly beneath the school.

The principal also reported that a backup generator has been mostly installed and that a qualified technician was flown in from Seattle to commission the unit; commissioning was expected within the next two days. That generator, once fully commissioned, should reduce the need for extended fire watch and some temporary measures.

On responsibility and costs, board members heard that the borough is covering current cleanup work. "At this particular point in time, it's being covered by the borough," said borough staff member Daniel Schuler. He added the borough may later seek restitution from a subcontractor, depending on insurance and vendor agreements.

Health monitoring is ongoing. The district's nurse, Kim Schwartz, has been checking in with staff, making weekly walkthroughs, and providing an anonymous point of contact for employees concerned about exposure, Hankey said.

Board members asked about the project's timeline and permanence of fixes. Hankey said vapor-barrier installation is the project’s permanent, structural fix and that the district has discussed doing that "quickly in the next month-ish," but that no firm completion date was yet set. He and other speakers warned that heavy rainfall, freezing, or other seasonal changes could alter how remaining diesel migrates in local rock and soil.

Officials emphasized uncertainties in quantity, location and timeframe. Hankey and borough staff said monitoring and mitigation steps will continue throughout the school year and that both Nortek and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will be involved in designing and approving the vapor-barrier work.

Why this matters: students and staff are in the building daily and want a clear schedule for permanent remediation, a reliable health-monitoring plan, and clarity about who pays for long-term work. The board directed staff to continue daily monitoring, coordinate with the borough and DEC on vapor-barrier design, and keep the board apprised of costs and schedule.

Ending: The board did not take a formal vote on the cleanup. District and borough staff said work would continue and that the board would see further updates as contractors and environmental agencies complete design and installation of the vapor barrier and associated venting.