Environmental assessment flags soil and vapor risks at Coliseum College Preparatory Academy

What happened

A preliminary assessment for the planned campus expansion found lead, arsenic and other metals in soil, along with vapor-forming chemicals in groundwater and soil gas. It identifies possible exposure during construction and in future landscaped areas or buildings, and recommends soil controls and vapor-intrusion protections; the findings do not establish that students currently face a confirmed indoor-air hazard.

Why it matters to families

The gymnasium and classroom-building project would disturb soil and create new occupied spaces, so the recommended investigations and protections could affect how construction and the expansion proceed. The report also says sampling was limited and did not directly evaluate indoor air in existing buildings, leaving some current-condition uncertainty.

The evidence

The June 10, 2026 Preliminary Endangerment Assessment for Coliseum College Preparatory Academy identifies soil COPCs including arsenic, hexavalent chromium, cobalt, lead and mercury, and VOCs in groundwater and soil vapor. It says existing hardscape limits current soil contact, while redevelopment could expose soil in construction and planned softscape areas; it reports no student or staff indoor-air health hazard from the vapor data collected to date but notes that existing-building indoor air was not directly tested. Recommendations include a construction Soil Management Plan, further soil and groundwater evaluation, and vapor-intrusion mitigation in future buildings. A public hearing/comment period is scheduled for October 28. (Document 119992.)

The source