Radford High School officials’ plans to replace a cinder track with an all-weather one were put on hold when workers found a dumpsite three feet below the surface of the athletic field. Upon discovering multiple metal objects, the crew stopped digging, covered and quarantined the area, and then called in experts to test the soil.
Samples taken at the site tested positive for high levels of numerous toxins, including lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and dioxin. They also indicated the presence of asbestos, which was the initial concern regarding the possible contaminants in the soil. Asbestos, a banned substance, is responsible for numerous respiratory health problems, such as mesothelioma. Whenever renovation and demolition work is done on old buildings or in areas where the harmful material may be found, the discovery of asbestos is a major concern.
“They found what looked like old fill material and metal and debris,” said Deputy Environmental Director Gary Gill. “It was covered by clean soil. The public, to our best knowledge, and the students, were not exposed to what was under the track.”
Instead of the asbestos, the levels of lead in the soil turned out to be the most troubling of the results. Fifteen samples indicated levels of 240-6,200 parts per million; an acceptable level, which requires no action, is anything below 200 parts per million.
Principal James Sunday and the rest of the school administration kept parents apprised of the situation, assuring them that the contaminated area is completely off-limits. As an additional precaution, health officials tested the Radford and Makalapa Elementary School campuses for lead, finding that the contamination was limited to the track and field area.
Radford High School and Makalapa Elementary School were both built next to Makalapa Crater, which was previously used as a landfill by the military. The Navy will therefore be held responsible for the cleanup, which has yet to begin, although Radford school officials would like to have the field back by next summer.