Kennedy High School students may start the school year in another location because of toxic chemical plume

Kennedy High School students will begin their school year on schedule, with several backup locations under consideration while further testing for a toxic chemical on campus is conducted.

Richmond’s Kennedy High School was closed on Monday after preliminary test results indicated levels of tetrachloroethylene, also known as PCE, underground.

At a town hall meeting Thursday night, Jeff Carter, West Contra Costa Unified School District interim associate superintendent of business services, said the district is “planning for no delays to the start of the school year.”

“The test results will help us determine where we open for the start of school,” Carter said. 

Some of the temporary relocation sites for about 625 students include Contra Costa College, the Craneway Pavilion and other district and city properties, he added.

The town hall at Richmond Auditorium was moderated by David Luongo, Kennedy High principal, and attended by officials from WCCUSD, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and the city. Mayor Eduardo Martinez and several City Council members attended but sat among the audience, which included about half a dozen Kennedy students and some parents. The session also was live-streamed. 

The preliminary tests were conducted after DTSC became aware in April that PCE was present in the soil about 500 feet from the campus and recommended that the district conduct testing. The school board approved underground vapor testing at its July 15 meeting and was notified of the results on July 31.

PCE was found in soil gas at six locations within 0.7 mile of the campus, on the north and northeast sides, extending from Nevin Avenue south along San Pablo Avenue.

Ian Utz, a senior scientist for DTSC, said there is no immediate risk to the community and further test results will guide possible next steps.

More samples were collected on Thursday and Friday, and lab results are expected on Aug. 13.

“Ongoing tests will show if PCE detected in soil has made its way into the indoor air. If that is the case, additional steps may be warranted,” DTSC said in statement. “In the meantime, DTSC continues its investigation to determine the source of the contamination and the extent of impacts both on the school site and the surrounding neighborhood.”

Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said the district could not wait to make an alternative plan for the start of the school year on Aug. 18. 

“We continue to work with our partners to put together a plan for our students,” she said, adding that families will be notified.

She said there is a possibility Kennedy will open on Aug. 18, and that in the worst case scenario, it would remain closed for 60 days to ensure that the air is clean for students and staff. 

Cotton said the district is planning a summit, where students can ask questions directly of the agencies involved.

Problem surfaced 20 years ago

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies tetrachloroethylene or PCE, as a likely carcinogen. It has been used in dry-cleaning and metal degreasing. Long-term exposure in the air or drinking water can have adverse kidney, liver, immune system and neurological effects. Exposure to very high concentrations in closed, poorly ventilated areas can cause dizziness, headache, sleepiness, confusion, nausea, difficulty speaking and walking, unconsciousness and even death. 

For mitigation, Utz said new buildings can be designed to prevent vapors from entering, and existing buildings can be retrofitted.

The school has been under a major renovation for the past year, with work scheduled to be completed in 2029, but district officials say the PCE is not related to the construction. 

PCE contamination is not new to Richmond and has been found at several sites, Utz said.

In response to an audience member’s question, Utz said the PCE plume was first discovered in the neighborhood’s groundwater around 2005 during an investigation into PCE at the Miraflores senior housing development, about half a mile from Kennedy.

“That’s the first time in this area that I know of that it was detected,” he said. 

Residents expressed frustration at how this problem has persisted for 20 years. 

Bendrick Foster, president of the Park Plaza Neighborhood Council, asked what the agencies have done to keep the problem from spreading. 

“How do we know it’s not attacking our homes? Because if they moved from the Miraflores project and it’s moved all the way down to Kennedy High School, that is a problem,” he said. 

Another resident, Michelle Jackson, asked what officials know about where and how PCE has traveled in the past 20 years.

Utz said public officials also are frustrated with the situation.

“We are working as hard as we can to find a source and to hold that source responsible for cleaning up this problem in the groundwater and in the soil gas,” he said.

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