Newport School Department Spends $95K to Cover Contaminated Soil

Jan 16, 2024

By Newport This Week Staff | on July 27, 2023

The soil will be tested to determine if it is both environmentally and structurally capable of being reused as backfill for the project. (Photo by Kevin Friel/Aquidneck Aerials)

Newport Public Schools recently purchased covering for the 36,000-cubic-yard pile of contaminated soil at the site of the new Rogers High School, an approximately $95,000 expense.

The coconut fiber mat arrived on July 17. Project consultants said it would cover the entirety of the pile, although aerial photos taken on July 22 show some portions of the pile remained uncovered. The brown portions in the photo are the coconut fiber mat. The gray portions are uncovered soil.

The estimated cost of removing the soil is $4.1 million.

The covering is a sustainable, woven mat made from natural coconut fibers, which are manipulated to create a yarn-like material. The mat allows dirt and water to pass through and dry without molding. The material and mats are used for both décor and industrial purposes.

The large pile, measuring about two stories high, was mostly excavated from the site to create the foundation of the new facility, and has contaminants above state-mandated thresholds for residential and industrial areas. The revelation of the hazard levels caused residents of the surrounding neighborhood to petition the School Department and the city to take safety precautions.

Testing is now being conducted on the pile to determine if the soil is both environmentally and structurally capable of being reused as backfill for other project components. Per Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management regulations, piles with contaminants above residential and industrial thresholds can be used as backfill if they meet RIDEM criteria. By these standards, contaminated soil must be topped off with a minimum two feet of “clean” material.

“Once the data is in, we’ll know what its suitable use is, based on its content and how much clean material we may need to use to cap it, wherever we use it,” said Scott Kozuch, of Downes Construction, the school’s lead consultant on the project.

When asked if the pile will stay at its current height, consultants said there will “not be a lot of manipulation of the pile” until and if it is used as backfill, as disturbing of the pile could potentially send more contaminants into the air.

“There is just going to be the practical measures that are needed to take out the roots and any of the rocks that might make it improbable or impossible to cover,” Kozuch said.

There was a sentiment from Louisa Boatwright, co-chair of the School Building Committee, to bring the pile down to a height of 16 feet in all areas. Boatwright said she was seeking input on the issue.

Joe DeSanti, also of Downes, said it was his “strong opinion” that the pile should not be disturbed.

“You do as little as you need to, and not move the pile twice, because you could potentially knock it down, spread it over the bigger part of the field and then have to take that material and move it again when we need to use it for backfill, which means you’d probably be moving it two or three times, which is costly,” he said.

The pile will be slightly reshaped and better managed for stormwater runoff. More soil will be added before any is removed to be used as backfill, as the project will soon require utility trench work to bury cables and lines. The added soil will also be covered once it is added to the pile, DeSanti said.

The majority of backfill operations will commence once the old high school is demolished.

The City Council hosted a long-awaited meeting with RIDEM on July 26 to address both the contaminant level and height of the pile. Newport This Week went to press before the meeting.

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