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Board approves Palm Elementary soil remediation after tests find lead and arsenic; trustees press for independent verification
Summary
Trustees voted to approve a contract to excavate and replace contaminated soil at Palm Elementary after multiple rounds of testing identified elevated lead and arsenic at eight campus locations. Trustees and community members pressed for chain‑of‑custody soil samples, independent post‑remediation verification, and clearer communication with neighbors.
The Hacienda la Puente Unified Board voted to authorize excavation and disposal work at Palm Elementary following multi‑agency testing that identified elevated levels of lead and arsenic at specific areas of the campus. The board approved a contract of up to $256,900 to remove contaminated soil and replace it with clean fill; the motion carried on a roll call vote.
The subject drew sustained public concern. Trustees and parents said testing had occurred in several rounds and asked for additional steps before reopening the campus, including contaminant “fingerprinting” or isotopic analysis to identify potential industrial sources, preservation of soil samples under legal chain‑of‑custody so they could be used as evidence if enforcement is pursued, and independent verification after remediation is complete. One trustee said, “Before this campus is reopened to students and staff, I would strongly encourage further analysis including contaminant fingerprinting” and urged transparent reporting to nearby residents.
District staff said the board previously commissioned independent testing from two firms after initial sampling raised questions. A district environmental consultant, Rue Associates, conducted the most recent delineation and recommended targeted excavation of eight locations where levels exceeded applicable guidance. Staff said Rue will oversee onsite excavation, use real‑time field screening (X‑ray fluorescence) and confirmation sampling from excavation bottoms and sidewalls, and implement dust mitigation and air monitoring to comply with South Coast AQMD requirements.
Trustees and community members pressed the district to retain split soil samples and maintain chain of custody so samples would be admissible if pursued in future enforcement or litigation. The district agreed to preserve samples and to invite the consultant back to present post‑remediation data and answer questions from the board and residents.
Several trustees emphasized that remediation is a legal obligation once contamination is identified and that the immediate priority is student and staff safety. One trustee said the district had already approved multiple rounds of testing over the past year and that the excavation step was the necessary next phase to make the site safe. Another trustee and community members urged the district to coordinate notifications and mitigation measures for neighboring residents.
The district indicated that the remediation work would be performed to meet applicable regulatory standards and that the consultant would provide confirmation samples showing the site met cleanup objectives before the campus is reoccupied. The board asked staff to return with a timeline for remediation, a plan for independent verification, and proposed communications to affected families and adjacent neighbors.
