GHS field cleanup is ‘moving forward’ on schedule
PCBs and other harmful materials were discovered under the high school’s western parking lot after work began on the Music Instructional Space and Auditorium in 2011.
GREENWICH — Remediation work on one of Greenwich High School’s athletic fields is progressing on schedule, according to town officials.
Phase II of the larger fields remediation project at Greenwich High began this summer and will continue into the fall in an effort to remove PCBs and other harmful materials that were first discovered at the site in 2011. The district is carrying out the project in partnership with the Connecticut Department of Environment and Energy and the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
“We are continuing to make progress on the soil remediation project at the high school in partnership with the Town of Greenwich Department of Public Works,” Superintendent of Schools Toni Jones said. “The work happening this summer is currently on track as outlined in our community updates.”
A first phase of remediation was mostly completed in summer 2020 and involved the replacement of turf coverings on athletic fields 6 and 7 and the insertion of crushed rock on top of the soil beneath.
Phase II is larger in scope and could take three years to complete, according to the school district. It will focus primarily on fields 2, 3, 4 and 5, with the cleanup work conducted during the summer months and the restoration and construction of the fields during the fall.
The cleanup work cur
rently underway has made fields 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 unavailable for use, according to the district, as crews work in the vicinity of field 4.
Plans for fall 2021 include the installation of a new impermeable cap beneath field 4 and the construction of new artificial turf atop the cap. Field 2, 5, 6 and 7 will be open to the public. A portion of field 3 will also be open to the public, though the length of the field will be limited by the work on field 4.
“Work is occurring Monday through Saturday, all to keep the project moving forward as quickly as possible,” First Selectman Fred Camillo wrote last week in his regular community email update.
As Phase II progresses, the school district continues to work with DEEP and the EPA to finalize plans and obtain approval for the remainder of the remediation project on the site.
The remediation project carries an estimated $25 million price tag.
PCBs and other harmful materials were discovered under the high school’s western parking lot after work began on the Music Instructional Space and Auditorium in 2011. The contaminated soil had been moved to the site in the 1960s and 1970s to shore up wetlands so the school building could be constructed.
Phase II of the project includes removing hazardous materials, as deep as 10 feet below the ground in some areas, from Fields 3, 4 and 5, on the western side of campus. The aim of the project is to prevent direct contact with the harmful materials, as well as the contamination of groundwater via storm-water infiltration.