From Linda Conner Lambeck, CT Post:
Anyone hoping for a quick decision on GE’s inches-thick plan to cleanse its former Boston Avenue plant site of enough toxins that it can house a new city high school is going to be disappointed.
The state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, in possession of the proposed remediation plan sine April 25, 2014, has issued a 5-page letter listing comments and questions it has about the plan to both GE and city officials. The letter came after a meeting with both parties on June 18.
The questions are largely technical in nature involving the plan to rid or contain all the metals, cyanide and oil-contaminated soils on the property.
Full story here.
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Ruben Felipe repeatedly told the members of the Bridgeport Board of Education it was imperative shovels be in the ground by June 30th, or the City was in significant jeopardy of losing the 80% in funding from the State. Once the additional information is provided to DEEP, DEEP issues its final report, the 45-day waiting period expires and the public hearing is held, it is pretty safe to say it will be well past June 30. This is a consistent ploy used by Mayor Finch to pressure boards and commissions to make rushed decisions. This school is going to place the health and well-being of thousands of school children and staff at significant risk.
Ruben Felipe tells as many lies as Mayor Finch, his job is to push Finch’s agenda, period, by hood or crook that’s Ruben Felipe job and he does it well, telling lies.
Ron, I am in 100% agreement with you.
On a side note, here is the link to the CT Post poll on changing the name of Harding to Obama High School. Over 1,000 people have taken the poll so far and 79% are against the name change. It isn’t even close.
blog.ctnews.com/connecticutpostings/2014/07/21/should-bridgeports-harding-high-be-obama-high/
I would like to see a name change, just not to Obama High. Don’t we have some local luminaries for whom we can name the new HS?
flubadub, I can tell you I have spoken with over 20 Harding graduates and every one of them is against it. I am not 100% positive, but I am pretty sure I can get most of them to help organize against the name change. I think it is much more important for those who attended Harding High School than those who have not.
You are right. It should be the Harding High community that has the most weight in this decision.
Back to Harding being built on the old GE site. Many are quite against using the GE site. Have we forgotten Longfellow Elementary School also had a soil contamination problem? However it was voted on to have the school demolished, the soil remediated and a new school built. That’s in progress now. Also, a new neighborhood playground is being built next to the beautiful Cal Ripken baseball diamond. If we’re not careful, the West End might start to look like the North End. Isn’t Greenwich doing something similar with the contaminated soil around their school? There is a standard across the nation on how to remediate contaminated soil. I hope the soil is within the guidelines of being acceptable for successful remediation. Even if and when it is proven the soil can be successfully remediated, there will still be a fight amongst the supposed lovers of children who have what’s best for the children at heart.
Sonny,
I read your comments and assume you are talking about the KaBoom playground to be built on a recently decommissioned street IN BLACK ROCK. You mention something about the West End, but the location of the new playground next to Cal Ripken ballpark is BLACK ROCK, as it was accepted by the City Council when they recognized the Black Rock NRZ some years ago. The eastern border of the Black Rock NRZ is Bostwick Avenue where the western side of the street includes the Gary Crooks Center and the entrance to Captain’s Cove and from the eastern side is claimed by the WEST END NRZ and recognized by the City Council.
Understanding the interest in soil remediation at Longfellow from several years ago, as well as the more current concern at Harding, I am looking at the issue beneath the former roadway where asphalt has been replaced by grass, but will need to be made ready for playground equipment to be anchored by poles sunk from about two feet to almost four feet. Tests will be done with specific attention to lead and arsenic and remediated (likely by the City) to a necessary standard (that I assume will be residential, as with the schools) and then surfaced with a rubber play surface for safety.
Kids, parents and other members of the community were present for an initial meeting to offer some design ideas regarding color, types of equipment, and other site efforts on Tuesday at Black Rock Library. More to come. Time will tell.
Sonny, please Google “toxic” or “contaminated school sites.” There is a plethora of information about this horrible national trend. There was a small school in a suburb that was knowingly built on contaminated land. I believe five students, seven teachers and three custodians were all diagnosed with cancer. Coincidence? I think not. I am going to try to find a link to post and double check my information.
Please do get me the link. Notice I said, “I hope the soil is within the guidelines of being acceptable for successful remediation.” I also hope Longfellow is within guidelines. The PT area is special to me. I’d like to see a comparison of the Greenwich soil and the GE site. Also, was the school you spoke of built on land that wasn’t remediated?
I’m not a Harding graduate but I did go there for my first two years then I attended Frank Scott Bunnell in Stratford where I graduated. I must say it was not President Warren Harding we as students connected to but it was the Harding High School “Spirit” we connected to, we all got caught in the Blue and Gold Harding spirit.
If you go to the annual Harding, Central Thanksgiving Day game, you will see the game is a big event to those who attend the game, no matter their age. I still have that Harding High School spirit.
Ron, I agree with you on this, too. My allegiance has nothing to do with a love for President Warren G. Harding, however it has everything to do with my “Harding Pride.” Blue and Gold always! I think those who attended/graduated from Harding have a special place in their hearts for the school.