The weather may have disappointed skiers over the holidays, but it was great for removing toxic soil from Treasure Mountain Junior High School’s grounds.
A break from winter’s snow and wind and all helped crews get about half of two contaminated piles removed and hauled off to landfills, according to Park City School District Chief Operations Officer Mike Tanner and R and R Environmental Vice President Stephen Galley,
“The weather was extremely cooperative,” Galley said. “The snow/rain and the wind. We literally only had wind for one morning for like four hours, so everything was great.”
The lead and arsenic contaminated soil — which was erroneously placed on school grounds in violation of a covenant with the Environmental Protection Agency — poses different challenges than more mundane materials, and heavy winds would likely necessitate stoppages of the work.
Overall, Galley estimated about 40% of the soil was moved before the remaining material was recapped with at least eight inches of borrow material before students returned to the campus.
The removal of the potentially dangerous material is much less conspicuous than the hazmat project one might imagine.
In determining what personal protection equipment would be necessary, Galley said the group looked towards a certified safety professional and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines.
“When we looked at that, we said, ‘Level D.’ This is a construction project,” Galley said. The main pile was not hazardous “on a leachable level.”
While the smaller pile’s tests showed it could potentially be more harmful, it was also determined it could be safely handled with Level D equipment, which could include gloves, coveralls, safety glasses, face shields and chemical resistant footwear.
“It’s very innocuous stuff. It’s not an extremely hazardous substance we’re dealing with. It’s a low level,” Galley said.
If weather permits, R and R Environmental is planning to continue the project on President’s Day. Work can continue through that week with school out until Feb. 26.
If the weather turns much more to skiers’ liking, work could stretch into April and potentially summer break.
According to Tanner, the project is currently on track for his $1.5 million-$2 million estimate of the cost.