Initial Environmental Tests Show No Soil Contamination at New Lebanon School

As Greenwich Public Schools proceeds with its plans for the New Lebanon School (NLS) building project, an environmental assessment has revealed there are two underground storage tanks on the Mead Avenue campus, according to a preliminary report.

And the assessment and soil tests — that are part of the development of educational specifications for the school at 22 Mead Ave. — indicate that neither tank is leaking and there isn’t any soil contamination, according to the school district.

The Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) included a review of Federal, State and local records, interviews and site reconnaissance to determine whether environmental hazards exist on the property.

According to a district statement, “the assessment identified two recognized environmental conditions, an existing underground storage tank and a former underground storage tank. Soil adjacent to the current and former underground storage tanks was sampled and tested as part of a Limited Phase II Environmental Site Investigation. No evidence of leakage was found. The Phase I Environmental Assessment raised no other concerns.”

A report on a second phase of the environmental site investigation Report will be released by March 13.

The board of education is proposing a long-term solution for accelerating achievement and addressing the achievement gap, racial imbalance, and facility utilization difficulties that were outlined in the district’s Racial Balance Plan that was approved by the state board of education in 2014.

The proposed New Lebanon Elementary School will be built to attract students from the entire town for an International Baccalaureate (IB) program. The school, built in 1956, must be sized to accept the larger enrollment from the catchment area, add space for magnet students, and add classrooms to restore the pre- kindergarten program.

The school already is beyond capacity with 262 students. To accommodate increased enrollment in that school district, four classrooms were added in 1992. The pre-kindergarten program was moved out of the school for the 2012/13 school year and the kindergarten program moved out in the 2014/15 school year to address overcrowding and relieve strain on the facility.

While many of the classrooms are sized correctly, all of the special classrooms, the gym, administration, and small group learning rooms are undersized. The smaller than average cafeteria and kitchen impact the school schedule.

The Board of Education is considering whether to expand the current facility or build a new structure.

The Phase I Environmental Assessment is available for review at the Havemeyer Building, 290 Greenwich Ave. Interested parties need to contact Kim Eves at Kim_Eves@greenwich.k12.ct.us to make an appointment.

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Photo credit: Barbara Heins.