School Site Needs Follow-Up, Not Cleanup, District Study Says

A Cudahy elementary school that sits atop a toxin-laced former landfill should continue being monitored for arsenic contamination, according to a preliminary study that immediately drew fire from residents who want the school site cleaned up.

The long-awaited study for the Los Angeles Unified School District recommends against a site cleanup because of the estimated $8-million cost and because it would require temporary closure of the 1,100-student school, which has long been plagued by environmental problems.

Continued maintenance of the site would be sufficient to meet safety standards and could be implemented at a “reasonable” cost of about $700,000, according to the report by IT Corp., an Irvine-based consultant hired by the district.

State and district officials have yet to make a final decision on the school’s future and have requested additional study. Nevertheless, the report has caused an uproar among parents and teachers at Park Avenue Elementary School, located about 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Ahead of a public meeting next week, they have enlisted the support of area politicians and called for protests demanding a cleanup because of fears that contaminants are causing illnesses among children and teachers.

“I see this as un grito de guerra--a call to arms,” said Sal Valdez, the teachers’ union representative at the campus. “Unless they clean it up, we will always have doubt and fear.”

State officials stressed that they have not ruled out any alternatives, and said they hope to announce a final decision by late July. “We know how deeply concerned the community is, and we’re totally committed to finding a solution,” said Debbie Odoudiz, a senior toxicologist with the state Department of Toxic Substances Control.

The environmental problems are as old as the school. Soon after the campus opened in 1968, oily liquid began bubbling through the playground surface. Parents were told that the ooze was due to bad asphalt conditions, and it wasn’t until 1988 that officials learned that the school was built atop a landfill.

In 1989, the school was shut down so workers could cap the sludge. But the cap was not meant to be a permanent fix, and the problems have persisted.

The latest troubles came late last year, when traces of arsenic were discovered in the school’s kindergarten area. The arsenic concentration was found to be higher than normal, but not high enough to be a significant short-term health risk.

State officials did caution, however, that certain areas should be off-limits to children, including a patch of grass in the kindergarten area.

While awaiting the district’s decision, parents and teachers continue viewing student illnesses with suspicion.

Waves of fear swept the school earlier this year when a student took ill and died shortly afterward. Though officials said the girl’s illness was not related to school conditions--she reportedly died of a brain aneurysm--some parents briefly kept their children away from school.

News this week that a student was diagnosed with leukemia has also caused concern. Teachers say headaches, nausea and other ailments are also common, bolstering their beliefs that the campus is a giant health hazard.

Some local politicians have recently come out in favor of the parents’ demands. Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh (D-Los Angeles) said the district should spare no expense to make the school safe, even if it means excavating the site.

“This is a perfect opportunity for the school district to demonstrate to the community their willingness to correct this injustice,” said Firebaugh in a prepared statement.

A public meeting to discuss the study is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the school, 8020 Park Ave.