Brighton Central School District near Rochester, New York, halted construction on athletic fields after its contractor uncovered undocumented historical fill beneath the topsoil. The school district said the material likely dates back to 1830, when a brick manufacturer reportedly occupied the land.
Materials found during early site preparation in January included ash, cinders, brick, glass, ceramic and metal at depths ranging from 2.5 to 7 feet. Once Brighton realized certain compounds exceeded regulatory thresholds, it contacted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) and Department of Health. The DEC classified the site as a spill.
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Brighton noted that historical fills exist across New York, citing that no regulations prohibited this type of disposal at the time. During a March Board of Education meeting, the district reported that Abner M. Buckland of Buckland Brick owned the area from 1830 to the 1920s and mined clay there to manufacture bricks. The school district purchased the property in 1925.
Buckland Brick lacks a clearly documented history, according to local nonprofit Historic Brighton. The organization stated that the Buckland family moved to Brighton in 1815 after losing a farm in nearby Phelps and later bought the land across from the high school. Clay deposits in the area reportedly supported multiple structures in Rochester.
Brighton estimated that remediation options could cost over $14 million. At the agencies’ recommendation, it opted to apply poly sheeting over the fill and soil piles and plans to spread gravel across the site to prevent dust from escaping starting April 6. The school district added that it would replace the proposed water retention basin with an underground chambering system to stop field drainage from contacting the materials before discharging into the existing storm water inlet.
Brighton said it will identify a cost estimate upon completion of the approved site management plan.
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