BRIGHTON, N.Y. — Work is set to begin on Monday on a Brighton Central School District athletic field to cover soil that’s contaminated with toxins.
As News10NBC has covered, testing found some mercury, lead, and arsenic in the soil, halting a project to convert grass into artificial turf. Construction on the field started in January, but two days later, contractors found materials in the soil, including ash, cinder, glass, and metal.
The district says the contaminants are likely from a brick manufacturing site that used to be in the area from the 1830s through the 1920s. After the discovery, all construction stopped immediately, and environmental professionals worked to assess the level of contamination.
The district says it’s working with the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health to create a revised plan that will reduce soil disturbance and manage costs. The statement says in part:
“Although the discovery of the materials at this magnitude was unexpected, we plan to transform this problem into an opportunity to address and remediate the area responsibly, with full regulatory oversight and modern safety protocols. The District will implement approved cover systems such as new fields, pavement, concrete, or clean soil layers that prevent future exposure. Additionally, the original plan of a water retention basin would be replaced with an underground chambering system. This would ensure that water draining from the field doesn’t contact the historical fill materials before discharging into the existing storm water inlet.”
Many parents said they didn’t like the project to begin over health concerns surrounding artificial turf. The district responded with documents from the turf company saying there were no harmful chemicals added into the manufacturing process.
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