Eric Pavolos, a parent and East High alumnus, told the Salt Lake City School District Board of Education on Dec. 2 that a tetrachloroethylene (PCE) contamination plume formally discovered in 2016 sits under East High, including parts of school property and the stadium parking area. Pavolos said he learned details at an interagency meeting in October where the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state and city health agencies and other parties attended, and he said he found no record of district participation in those meetings over the past five years.

Pavolos described studies and remediation estimates he heard at the October meeting, saying cleanup could cost "30 to $60,000,000" and may require activity on school-owned property including monitoring wells and work in the stadium area. He asked the board to be transparent with parents and staff, to engage directly with federal and state agencies, and to allow district facilities staff to coordinate monitoring and remediation as needed.

The district did not dispute the presence of an interagency process during the public comment and did not, during Pavolos' remarks, provide a detailed timeline of district participation. Board president Nate Salazar thanked the speaker and said staff would follow up; staff later emphasized they regularly coordinate with outside agencies on facilities issues and that district leaders would be notified of continuing developments.

Next steps

The board did not take action in the meeting on the plume. Pavolos asked for monitoring wells at the stadium and soccer field and for clearer public communication; staff and board directed that district facilities and public affairs staff follow up with the commenter and with partner agencies. The allegation that the district has not attended recent plume meetings should be verified against interagency meeting notes and the EPA/state records before broader public release.

Representative quote

"I am here today requesting that the Salt Lake City School Board take the PCE plume that was formally discovered in 2016 that sits directly under East High and all your property seriously and become more engaged." — Eric Pavolos, parent

For verification

Pavolos cited an October interagency meeting and an EPA report; the district and external agencies should be contacted for meeting minutes, monitoring well data and the formal remediation plan.