08.21.07
Grandview Hills Elementary Given The Green Light
Who do you trust to determine whether the former chemical plant, that will soon be your child’s elementary school, is “..a safe place for students and teachers”? Apparently the TCEQ has made that determination regarding the future Grandview Hills Elementary in the Leander ISD, State says school is safe but needs tests before opening.
The commission has been reviewing the site for months and issued its final report to the district and a roomful of parents during a town hall meeting Monday night.
“They agree we may open the school and it’s a safe place for students and teachers,” district spokesman Bill Britcher said.
The findings came as a relief to most parents, some of whom raised concerns about harmful chemicals, such as mercury, found on the site.
“There really were no surprises,” said Kelli Merchant, the school’s Parent Teacher Association president. “I’m just ready to put this all to rest and move forward.”
Last month, the panel ranked the site a “moderate to high potential hazard.”
Until 2003, the chemical company Sasol North America Inc. operated a research and development facility on the site, using chemicals to produce products such as shampoos and soaps.
The school will not open until next school year at the earliest because of mold problems. South Texas Chisme asks, “First, James ‘Rick’ Perry’s people say it’s safe. You’d trust Rick, now wouldn’t you?”