By Sarah Moskowitz
Paciulli contacted the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) on Nov. 12 regarding his findings of contaminated soil and will send the department his site sample results. He said some sort of petroleum product was found in the ground underneath the back side of the school, but he is unsure what the source is and whether it's on- or off-site. He added that no problematic or carcinogenic substances have been determined to be present, which could cause the school to be deemed unsafe.
"Things are definitely well in hand," Paciulli said. "We're looking at the whole issue very comprehensively."
Additionally, Paciulli has done air sampling, the results of which showed very clean air in the occupied portions of the school. Since it has been given the OK regarding human safety from the engineers, the district will wait for word from the DEC before considering future measures.
"We're waiting on their timetable at the moment," said Dodge.
Once Paciulli and the team of district-hired investigators have made more definite determinations, they will send their results to the DEC. The testing should be concluded in the next two months, according to Paciulli. When the DEC is notified of the findings, it will assign a spill investigator and oversee cleanup if it is required.
Dodge added that there is a chance the smell is the residual of a 1984 oil spill at the school, when a tank leaked its contents into the ground beneath it. In February 1984 East Rockaway High School reported a loss of fuel to the DEC. According to the DEC, an oil tank was tested for pressure and fluid distribution by a district-hired contractor, but failed to pass, and the DEC was again contacted in April of that year.
The school also conducted indoor air sampling in 1984, and found no vapors associated with fuel oil in the building.
"It would be unlikely that odors associated with the old spill would be found in the building today," said a spokesperson for the DEC.
The 1984 spill was caused by a tank or system failure. Contaminated soil was dug up and removed from beneath the boiler room area and a pump-and-treat system was implemented to deal with ground-water contamination. The pump-and-treat system, which removes contaminated ground water and then discharges clean water, removed 6,800 gallons of fuel when operation ceased in August 1989.
Paciulli is unsure whether an old or abandoned tank is the source of the petroleum substance, but he has not ruled out that possibility. He added that a problem with a tank used in the past may not have been handled as it would be today, since Nassau County Department of Health cleanup standards are now much more stringent.
High school parents and employees have been notified of the situation and assured that it is under control, through a letter mailed by the district in November.
