FAIRFIELD, CT Work to remove arsenic from the Jennings Elementary School playscapes starts this weekend, Superintendent Mike Cummings said Friday afternoon in an email to parents.

The arsenic, which leached into the soil from treated wood timbers surrounding the playscapes, was found when officials in August ordered contamination testing of all school district fields and playscapes not already identified for tests after contaminants uncovered at a park were connected to the misuse of town fill. The elevated arsenic at Jennings is otherwise unrelated to the fill pile controversy, which involves the contamination of public sites across town and multiple felony charges against two former Fairfield employees and a contractor.

"Many thanks to the Jennings community for their patience during this process," Cummings said in the email. "It took too long."

Crews from ACV Enviro will be on site Saturday and Sunday to remove the contaminated soil and timbers, according to the email. Town environmental consultant Tighe & Bond will be present as well to monitor the dust. Residents are asked to stay away from the school over the weekend.

The remediation at Jennings will involve about 250 tons of soil, Cummings told school board members at a meeting Thursday.

"It's, like, railroad cars full of soil," he said. "... It's an extensive project."

The ground under the removed soil will need additional testing to confirm all the contaminated material is gone, the email said. The tests will take place Monday, with results anticipated Tuesday. If the tests show there is no more contamination, crews will put down new clean soil and wood chips. The work will require students to stay inside, but the playscapes will be ready for use by Thanksgiving.

Should tests find more remediation is needed, work will continue Thanksgiving weekend and the completion date will be pushed back, according to the email.

"Continued testing is part of the remediation process," school board Chairman Christine Vitale said at the Thursday meeting.

Also Thursday, Cummings updated the board on another situation requiring testing and remediation the discovery of mold at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. Pressure leaks from a steam pipe may have contributed to mold in the floor, he said. The mold appears contained to one room in the staff office area, Cummings said after the meeting, noting licensed environmental professional Woodard & Curran as well as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have been involved in responding to the issue.

The office is vacated, with all visible mold removed, according to Cummings, who said the district will ensure testing is conducted to determine if there is any lingering mold. Headmaster Greg Hatzis also sent an email to the Ludlowe community clarifying the situation in response to "conjecture," Cummings said.

Remediation plans are still pending for the former McKinley Elementary School playground and a walkway at Mill Hill Elementary School, he said.

Since August, at least 66 areas in Fairfield have been tested for contamination amid concerns about misuse of fill. The vast majority have been deemed safe, but some sites were found to contain asbestos and other contaminants.

Fairfield had accrued roughly $609,000 in costs connected to environmental consulting, remediation and additional expenses for sites other than the town fill pile, as of a Board of Finance meeting in late October. Another approximately $406,000 was projected to be spent on similar services at the time of the meeting.

For more information about contamination testing and remediation, visit fpsct.net/fieldsor http://www.fairfieldct.org/filluseissues.

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Remediation At Jennings Elementary School Starts This Weekend - Fairfield, CT Patch

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