EPA alerts Garland ISD about potential lead concerns near elementary school
GARLAND, Texas - Late Sunday evening, Garland ISD acknowledged for the first time that the EPA has alerted the district of a potential environmental hazard.
The hazard is related to the Globe-Union battery manufacturing plant. The EPA found elevated levels of lead near the banks of a creek outside the fence of Park Crest Elementary.
Faced with an ill family member, Don Phillips began to wonder three years ago if it was connected to the old Globe-Union battery manufacturing site that used to operate near his family's home. A Facebook post he made quickly gained traction.
"Within an hour’s drive, we had 300 responses," he said.
With that, Phillips founded the nonprofit Cleanup Garland to pursue soil testing.
The results of the testing in the fall of 2019 got the EPA involved, which set up a website about the Globe-Union site, saying "several samples had levels of lead that warrant further investigation. One sample also found a high level of arsenic."
Garland ISD acknowledged the findings in social media posts Sunday evening, addressing concerns about Park Crest Elementary near the old battery plant.
The district says it "was informed of a potential environmental hazard related to the Globe-Union battery manufacturing plant" in Sept. 2019 with an updated report completed this May.
Phillips believes the district took too long to notify parents.
"When we notified them in April 2020, they should have notified parents," he said. "Then parents could make the decision, ‘Do I want my child to go there?’"
Last summer, Garland ISD put up a fence with a "no entry beyond this point" sign without revealing why. Now, Garland ISD is saying it is to keep kids from playing in the creek that the EPA has found is contaminated.
The district emphasizes that lead has not been found within the school's fence line, and the EPA says the risk of exposure to children on school property is low.
However, according to the EPA, lead can also "attach to soil and be blown by the wind." For that reason, the EPA says people who live in the area should not wear their outside shoes inside their homes.
As for Phillips, he is thankful the district is now moving forward.
"For them to come to the table and finally acknowledge is astronomical," he said. "Because now hopefully it will open up dialogue."
Garland ISD declined an interview on the topic and referred FOX 4 to their statement, which says they are making diligent efforts to determine if there are environmental concerns.
LINKS:
Globe-Union Battery Facility Removal Assessment (arcgis.com)