All School Playgrounds To Close For Soil Tests: Fairfield Supt.

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield school district is closing all of its playgrounds after three school sites tested positive for contaminants. The tests were conducted in connection with an investigation of illegal dumping at the town public works yard and the contractor hired to run the facility.

Arsenic found at the Jennings Elementary School soccer field and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found at the Mill Hill Elementary School playground walkway and the Riverfield Elementary School baseball fields and playground exceeded residential standards, the town of Fairfield announced Saturday.

"Given the proximity of the test sites at Jennings, Mill Hill and Riverfield which raised concerns we are going to close our playscape areas at all schools and test the soil beneath those areas," Superintendent Mike Cummings stated in an email Sunday to parents. "We will also secure more information on the mulch we use and post that information online."

State officials said the levels of contamination at the sites that tested positive will not cause any health effects, according to the town. The sites will be remediated and access will be restricted in the interim.

The three schools where contaminants were found are among 20 high-priority locations tested after suspected asbestos shingles were reported at Gould Manor Park. Test results confirmed the presence of asbestos at the park, as well as elevated levels of arsenic and lead, after the site was evaluated at the request of law enforcement due to concerns that contaminated fill from the public works yard was used for a 2013-14 sidewalk project.

All the priority testing sites received material from the public works yard between 2013 and 2016, when Julian Development was operating the facility. Additional locations will be identified for testing as the town continues to review public works records.

Test results released Saturday for fields at Burr, Dwight, McKinley and North Stratfield elementary schools and Fairfield Woods Middle School revealed no elevated levels. Results for the Holland Hill Elementary School soccer fields are still pending, First Selectman Mike Tetreau said Saturday. All school sites identified for priority testing by the town were closed and, as a precaution, Fairfield Public Schools closed every field in the district for testing.

In his email Sunday, Cummings said the five school sites that tested negative for contamination would reopen.

Fairfield hired Julian Development in 2013 to run its public works yard and reduce the size of a pile of leftover project material on the property from 40,000 cubic yards. Over the course of Julian's three-year contract, the pile more than doubled in size, and days before the contract was set to end, contamination was discovered on the property. After conservation officials said the transportation and dumping of contaminated material could have violated state or federal law, police opened an investigation.

Director of Public Works Joe Michelangelo, former superintendent of public works Scott Bartlett and Julian Companies Owner Jason Julian were arrested earlier this month and are accused of crimes including larceny, forgery and dumping. The majority of the crimes are alleged to have occurred during the years Julian Development was under contract to operate the yard on Richard White Way. Bartlett was recently fired from his town job and Michelangelo was placed on leave.

In addition to the criminal case, Fairfield has sued Julian for millions in damages and Julian has sued the town for defamation.

For updates on the school district tests, go to fpsct.net/fields. For more information about the town's testing process, visit www.fairfieldct.org/filluseissues.