Weed Elementary campus closed after contaminated soil discovered during excavation work

The discovery of diesel fuel-contaminated soil at Weed Elementary School has halted excavation work for a new school and shuttered classes until the problem is cleared up. 

School officials planned to make a determination by April 14 about how to move forward, said Jon Ray, superintendent for the Weed Union Elementary School District. 

“We’ll make that call by Friday afternoon, about we’re going to do the following week,” said Ray. 

A small amount of the smelly soil was discovered in late May, during excavation work for a new school campus. In the process of removing that small amount, “we found another vein on Friday that was even bigger,” Ray explained. 

The district's board of trustees held a special meeting on April 6 to discuss the issue and voted to declare an emergency, closing the school. Weed Elementary has been on spring break this week, and the district hopes to have the soil remediated during this time.  

“But if we don’t, then we’ll have to look at other options,” said Ray. 

The district is planning a new campus for its 325 students following a determination that part of its existing facilities did not meet seismic and structural regulations and other buildings were contaminated with with mold.  

“So we’re required to tear all of the school down, except for the gymnasium, and rebuild,” said Ray.  

It’s not clear what may have caused the soil to have become contaminated. Going back more than a century, the property was part of the Weed Lumber Company and was donated to the school district about the 1920s. 

“Who knows what the mill used that property for. I don’t know what we’re up against yet,” said Ray. “We’re trying to find the source. We are going to clean it all and make sure we take care of the complete problem.” 

The site was also the home of a previous school facility from the 1930s through the late 1950s, which included a diesel-powered boiler in the basement. 

“So we’re thinking it might be from that old thing. But the amount that we’re dealing with now is very, very concerning because this wouldn’t just be a small leak,” said Ray. “We’re close to about 500 yards of contaminated soil so far.”

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The district is planning a new campus for its 325 students following a determination that part of its existing facilities did not meet seismic and structural regulations and other buildings were contaminated with mold.  

“So we’re required to tear all of the school down, except for the gymnasium, and rebuild,” said Ray.