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By LuAnn Schindler
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Board hires Kansas City company to transfer chemicals to new school site

 

Tradebe, an environmental services company, will dispose of outdated chemicals and move the materials from the three school sites to the new Summerland site. Summerland Board of Education members approved the proposal at the May 10 meeting.

Relocating science classroom materials to the new Summerland School site will resemble a chemical equation, of sorts, with the right amount of atoms bonding for a safe trip instead of creating a potential danger zone.

Science instructor Mary Leisy presented information to board of education members, May 10, regarding proper disposal of items at all three sites and transportation to the new school once they are ready to be moved.

"There are 900 chemical items between all three sites," Leisy said. "It's a lot."

She wasn't sure if Clearwater or Ewing science labs have previously gone through the disposal process. Along with Clearwater science instructor Laurel Miller, both sites' labs have been inventoried twice this year.

"Orchard has, at some point in the past, been cleaned out of anything that is basically restricted use, where we're not supposed to have it any more. We can't order new," she said.

She devised a four-part plan to handle the chemicals, based on what's not safe, what shouldn't be moved and what actually is reasonable to be used in future classes.

According to Leisy, Clearwater materials not disposed of will be moved to Ewing. At Ewing and Orchard, some materials will need to be disposed of.

At a later date, items from Ewing and Orchard will need to be moved to the new site.

"That date would be yet to be determined," Leisy said.

Leisy estimated one day for disposal and packing of items at the Clearwater site, one day for disposal at Ewing and Orchard combined and a third day for the move to the new site.

Materials will be packed in drums. According to the estimate, a 30-, 16- and 5-gallon drum are a few sizes of containers that will be utilized.

"Specific things have to be put together so it can be hauled and they have to keep specific things separate," Leisy said.

Items will be layered in the drums, with protective padding between each layer for safe transport.

Leisy said discussion about school personnel transporting items took place.

"That's great until somebody puts the wrong things together or somebody knocks a box over or somebody drops a box out of the back of the van and, all of a sudden, you've got 12-molar acid all over something and it's hazardous to breathe," she said.

Bids were received from two companies - one Nebraska-based business,New Horizons, the other, Tradebe, from Missouri - to safely dispose of and move materials.

Some costs, including the cost of field chemists, travel and labor, were not included in the bids.

Board member Nate Schwager asked if Tradebe, from Missouri, provided a bid amount.

Leisy said Tradebe representatives estimated a price tag between $10,000 to $12,000.

"That's obviously not set. It's yet to be determined," he said.

Superintendent Dale Martin said Tradebe's submitted proposal currently totals $11,600.

Candice Hoke asked if containers could be purchased and science teachers prepare and pack them for the move.

It boils down to liability concerns.

"I know how to handle it in the classroom," Leisy said.

"It just takes dropping a wheel off the side of the road, and all of a sudden, you have taken that liability on, not only your teacher, but your district," Leisy said. "I would not do it."

Some items at the Ewing site are approaching 100 years old, based on labeling and research, according to the science instructor.

Ewing site administrator Greg Appleby was surprised by that information.

"It must've been moved from the old high school to the current building," he said.

Leisy's inventory shows multiple bottles of several chemicals.

"A lot of times you'll order a kit and they'll send enough for 30 students for three years. It might take us 10 years to get through that amount of chemical, but you have to get the whole kit, so a lot of times you end up with a lot of extra of things you use frequently, but you probably don't use that quantity," she explained.

Hoke asked if the lab will be stocked with needed supplies.

"I did not order any chemicals," Leisy said.

Superintendent Dale Martin said the district doesn't have much choice.

"We've got to do it," he said.

Leisy said Tradebe would be available for disposal during the last week of May. Disposal of materials from all three sites during one trip would save the district approximately $950.

Hoke's motion to approve the Tradebe proposal passed unanimously.

 

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