Soil samples taken from Primrose Hill School showed elevated levels of contaminants. 

Barrington Superintendent of Schools Rob Wargo said crews that were drilling test bores at Primrose Hill in advance of the construction project found elevated levels of manganese, two polyaromatic hydrocarbons, chrysene, and benzo(a)pyrene.

Wargo said the area of contamination encompasses a swath about 20 feet by 30 feet near the asphalt circle and on the edge of the playground. 

School officials erected a temporary plastic fence around the area, which also encircled the set of swings on the playground. 

Wargo said the contaminated soil was not from the ground under the swing set, but officials thought it would be best to encircle the swings to make sure no one would exit a swing and end up in the area. 

Wargo sent a letter to Primrose Hill School families on Oct. 25, alerting them to the situation. 

“As always, the health and safety of our students, staff, and community members come first. To be cautious, we’ve taken steps to cordon off this small area so no one can access it. We’re working closely with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) to create a safe, effective plan to address this matter and ensure the area is clear for everyone,” Wargo wrote.

In a followup interview, Wargo said the soil samples taken from the three other school properties where construction is planned — the high school, Nayatt and Sowams — did not show any contaminants. 

Wargo said there are a couple of theories as to how the contaminated soil ended up in the ground at Primrose Hill School. He said there had been an underground oil tank buried in that area and in 2015 the tank was removed. Wargo said some people believe the material used to fill the hole left by the tank’s removal may have been contaminated. 

Also, according to an FAQ from the district shared with Primrose Hill School students, manganese is a naturally occurring metal commonly found in soil and sometimes used in road salts. Some of the other contaminants are found in petroleum, pavement, fire pits, vehicle exhaust, charred food and urban soil. 

In his letter to families, Wargo wrote: “While the levels are just above the state’s residential standards, they remain below commercial standards, which means there’s no immediate cause for alarm.”

Wargo said the district has a plan to remove the contaminated soil. He said the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has approved the removal of the soil and transfer of the material off-site. He said additional tests will be conducted to ensure the “non-compliant soils” have been removed. Wargo also said environmental consultants conducted additional testing around the school and did not identify any other issues. 

Wargo said the excavation of the contaminated soil will be done when students are not present and school is not in session. 

“We’re trying to do it as soon as possible,” Wargo said. He said the whole cleanup process could take about three weeks.

School officials have already held a meeting for Primrose Hill School parents to discuss the situation. Courtney Capizzo attended the meeting and later sent an email to the Barrington Times — “I attended the meeting on Wednesday (Oct. 30) and asked when the soil tests were conducted and we were informed that it was in July, approximately three months ago,” Capizzo wrote. “This was disturbing given that we were told that it takes approximately two weeks for the results to be returned. We were then informed that the Town Council was informed about the contaminated soil just one week before the meeting with parents. It's alarming that this information was sat on for this long. Additionally, the swings were not fenced off until after the start of school, and if I recall correctly, they were only fenced off the week prior to the 10/30 meeting.”

Wargo said officials are making every effort to share information with families as soon as possible.