Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Pfas topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves up to $90,000 for Porter school PFAS remediation and filtration
Summary
The Columbia Board approved up to $40,000 to clean and reline the Porter school well tank and up to $50,000 to install a filtration system after state and local health agencies signed off; both motions passed 6–0.
The Columbia Board of Education on June 15 approved emergency work to address PFAS contamination at Porter school, voting unanimously to fund tank cleaning and to buy a filtration system.
Superintendent Barbara Wilson told the Board the tank lining cleaning ‘‘will not exceed $40,000’’ — a $30,000 base cleaning plus up to $10,000 to install a steel element to extend the tank’s life. Wilson said the filtration system ‘‘will not exceed $56,000’’ in vendor estimates, and the Board approved the purchase with a $50,000 cap. Susan Spiggle moved and Paul Zator seconded the motions; both carried 6–0.
Wilson said the system will be installed behind Wing A, between the school and the Moor’s Charity School, and that the State Department of Public Health and the Eastern Highlands Health District are involved in approvals and oversight. Board members discussed timing and coordination with town procurement; Wilson said the project is expected to be completed by mid-July.
The Board recorded the motions and votes in the meeting minutes. The approved funding is intended to remove PFAS-contaminated water from the holding tank and to extend the tank’s service life, according to district staff.
