Soil Tests Are Ordered at New School Site

After traces of pesticides were found in the soil at a primary center scheduled to open in September, school district officials said Wednesday that construction will not proceed until environmental test results show that the site is free from harmful chemicals.

The Los Angeles Unified School District will learn today whether health hazards could delay the Sept. 13 opening of Valerio Primary Center and possibly displace 260 kindergartners and first-graders.

School officials called the tests a “precautionary measure” and said they’re confident the school will open on schedule. “I don’t think it’s a major problem,” said Erik Nasarenko, LAUSD’s spokesman for facility issues. “[The district] is being prudent.”

After recent routine surface tests turned up traces of pesticides, environmental safety experts took a sample from soil 4 feet under the 2.7-acre site, which was formerly used for horticulture.

Results were conducted by Miller Brooks Environmental Inc., based in Huntington Beach, and will be forwarded to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control.

Environmental tests will also determine if the soil is free of lead paint. After some sheds at the site were demolished last week, traces of lead paint were found and removed. School officials said such discoveries are common when old buildings are torn down.

“As of right now, I don’t think there will be delays,” said Julie Korenstein, the Los Angeles school board member who heads the facilities committee. “The district is being extra cautious. . . . I don’t want any Belmont repeat, so I want to make sure everything is 100% safe.”

Construction at the Belmont Learning Complex near downtown Los Angeles was halted after hazardous materials raised environmental concerns.