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Residents demand independent testing as district readies soil remediation at Palm Elementary
Summary
Community members urged the school board to preserve soil samples, run independent post‑remediation verification and delay reopening Palm Elementary after tests showed elevated lead and arsenic; speakers pointed to historical contamination concerns and asked for transparent public outreach.
Community members urged the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District to proceed cautiously on a Palm Elementary soil remediation contract, asking that the district preserve samples for isotopic "fingerprinting," conduct independent post‑remediation testing and delay reopening until the source of contamination is identified.
Brandon Macias, a parent and community member, noted multiple investigations identified elevated concentrations of lead and arsenic at several campus locations and asked the district to release all testing results and to conduct comprehensive post‑remediation verification testing. "I asked that the district publicly release all environmental testing results, conduct a comprehensive post remediation verification testing ... and hold public informational meetings for families," he said.
Speakers including Sofia Ramirez and Sam Brown referenced historical complaints and deposition modeling related to a nearby battery smelter and urged the district to involve state regulatory agencies if ongoing emissions are suspected. Public commenters recommended isotopic nanospectrometer testing and solubility testing to determine hazard levels and requested that the district preserve correspondence with regulatory agencies and contractors.
An educator and an environmental health advocate attending the meeting asked the board to ensure dust control measures and independent testing, warning of the risk of redistributing contamination if excavation is not properly contained. "You need experts on that," one speaker said, urging the district to hire independent consultants for verification sampling.
District staff are seeking board approval for remediation work; public commenters called for stronger safeguards and transparent community notification before reopening the campus or disposing of environmental evidence.
What happens next: The district agenda included a remediation contract; community members asked for independent verification, preservation of records and a town hall to present data and plans before reopening the school.
