Officials from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) have identified high lead concentrations in soil at two Boyle Heights elementary campuses. the contamination was discovered near the Lineage warehouse and affects City Terrace and Christopher Dena Elementary schools.
170mg of lead per kilogram at City Terrace Elementary
Recent environmental testing has revealed that lead levels at two local campuses have surpassed state safety limits. As reported by the source, City Terrace Elementary School recorded 170 milligrams of lead per kilogram of soil, while Christopher Dena Elementary School showed levels of 120 milligrams. Both of these figures exceed the acceptable thresholds established by the state of California.
The presence of these heavy metals in the soil has prompted immediate physical interventions at the sites. The district has already moved to fence off the front lawn at City Terrace Elementary to prevent student contact with the affected earth. Similarly, at Christopher Dena Elementary , the tree wells where elevated lead was detected have been cordoned off to ensure student safety during the school term.
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety's safety assessment
Despite the elevated lead readings, the LAUSD Office of Environmental Health and Safety maintains that the campuses are safe for students and staff to occupy.. According to the report, the district's assessment concluded that the Lineage warehouse incident did not result in widespread residual contamination that would pose a general health hazard to the school community.
In addition to the lead, environmental officials identified the presence of ammonia, manganese, and formaldehyde in the soil samples. However, the district stated that these substances were found only at low levels. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety has determined that these specific chemical traces do not raise significant concerns regarding fire-related contamination or immediate health risks to the school population.
Fencing off tree wells at Christopher Dena Elementary
The district is currently evaluating several methods to remediate the contaminated areas in Boyle Heights. While the physical barriers like fencing are in place,LAUSD staff are still reviewing laboratory results to determine the most effective long-term solution. Potential remediation strategies mentioned by the distrcit include the complete removal of the contaminated soil or the application of protective layers, such as mulch, over the affected areas.
Timing is a critical factor for local families, as the school year is set to begin this Wednesday. The district has promised to provide families with advance notice regarding the testing results before classes officially commence. This move aims to address community concerns regarding the proximity of the Lineage warehouse fire to the educational environment.
Will LAUSD expand testing to other Boyle Heights campuses?
Several critical questions remain regarding the scope of the contamination and the district's response. It is currently unknown whether the LAUSD will expand its soil testing to other elementary schools in the Boyle Heights area that were also near the Lineage warehouse. Furthermore, while the district has promised communication, the specific timeline and transparency of how these results will be shared with parents have not been fully detailed.
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