A years-long cleanup of contamination from former industrial use at Elmira High School isn’t finished yet, and state agencies overseeing the project say additional site remediation is planned in the next few years.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation, which has been working in conjunction with the state Health Department and Unisys, the last industrial owner of the property before it was purchased by the Elmira City School District, released an update on the ongoing cleanup effort this week.
Before the school district purchased the 34-acre property, which straddles the line between the City of Elmira and Town of Southport, and built what was then Southside High School, it was the site of various industrial activities dating back to 1887.
It took decades before anyone realized the school, which opened in 1979, was sitting on a toxic brew of industrial contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and trichloroethylene (TCE).
Remedial measures at Elmira High School
Since 2017, more than 350,000 tons of contaminated soil have been removed and properly disposed, according to the latest DEC update.
Remedial measures have also included cover systems to reduce the potential of exposure to below-ground contamination, and sub-slab depressurization systems to prevent vapors from volatile organic compounds fromintruding into the indoor areas.
Future plans include remediation along the northern and eastern borders of the property, expected to take place between 2029 and 2036.
Investigation also continues into the potential spread of contamination by Coldbrook Creek, which flows near Elmira High School, and also cuts through residential neighborhoods, past Notre Dame High School, and through farmland in the Town of Southport.
Both residents living near the creek and landowners, including Dan Hurley of Bradley Farms, have raised concerns about potential impact of pollution on their properties.
Following an analysis of potential impact on wildlife, the state Health Department advises people not to eat fish taken from Coldbrook Creek.
Where to find more information
More information about the ongoing Elmira High School cleanup project is available on the DEC website.
Relevant documents are also available for review at Steele Memorial Library, 101 E. Church St. in Elmira.
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This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Industrial pollution cleanup planned at Elmira High School. Here’s why
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
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