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Board approves additional soil testing contracts and outlines remediation plan for Palm Elementary
Summary
District staff reported additional rounds of soil sampling at Palm Elementary after some samples indicated elevated naturally occurring metals (including arsenic); the board approved ratification and new contracts for deeper vertical and lateral delineation and discussed excavation and replacement with clean soil before re‑opening the campus.
The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District provided an update on soil testing at Palm Elementary after laboratory results identified areas of concern for naturally occurring metals, including arsenic. District staff said they conducted initial testing, then sought a second opinion and a third round of sampling; where concentrations exceeded applicable limits the district proposed deeper vertical and lateral delineation sampling to map the extent of contamination before excavation and replacement with clean soil.
District project lead Nancy Risco explained the delineation approach: take additional samples at increasing depths (vertical) and in multiple directions (lateral) around any exceedance to determine the full footprint of impacted soils. She told the board that the district will continue testing until samples show ‘‘clean soil’’ at acceptable levels and that the plan includes excavation, replacement, and continued modernization of the campus once remediation criteria are met.
Trustees pressed for plain‑language summaries for parents and staff, requested that test reports be made publicly available, and asked when students would return; staff said they expect remediation and site work to proceed with safety as the priority and that re‑opening timelines will depend on the final delineation and remediation schedule. Trustee Loera, who has experience with local environmental advocacy, urged the district to make reports readable to lay audiences and to consult subject‑matter experts as necessary.
The board ratified two contracts related to testing and delineation (one ratification of prior testing and another contract for additional vertical and lateral delineation focused on two identified areas). Trustees thanked staff for the third round of testing and emphasized the district’s duty to ensure campus safety before students return to Palm.
The board voted unanimously on the testing and remediation items; staff will post test results and proposed remediation timelines once they are finalized and will brief the board with a layperson summary for community distribution.
