By Carol P. Bartold

Mar. 15, 2017:  A few hours ahead of a state of emergency, declared in advance of a predicted blizzard, the Bronxville Board of Trustees convened on March 13 for its regular workshop and meeting.

Mayor Mary Marvin, speaking for Village Administrator Jim Palmer, who was unable to attend the meeting, explained that declaring a state of emergency is a prerequisite to establishing village eligibility for any federal, state, and/or county funds available for post-blizzard cleanup.

Water and Soil Testing:  In other business, Marvin reported that independent environmental consultant Ecosystems Strategies, Inc. has issued a review of water and soil testing results conducted at The Bronxville School by Omega Environmental Services, Inc. The village hired Ecosystems in February primarily to help trustees understand, evaluate, and interpret testing results and data relating to the proposed Marriott Hotel site on Marbledale Road in Tuckahoe.

"In essence, we asked Ecosystems to evaluate subsurface conditions, identify potential sources of vapor intrusion, and provide preliminary data on soil and groundwater integrity," Marvin said. Vapor intrusion is the movement of volatile chemicals from underground sources into the indoor air of buildings sitting above or adjacent to a site.

Ecosystems, in its summary review of work conducted by Omega Environmental Services, Inc. on the Federal Emergency Management Midland Valley Drainage Project construction site at the school campus, indicated that no compounds were identified in either groundwater or soil at concentrations requiring remedial action. Onsite reuse of the soil displaced for construction is appropriate, although Omega recommended that the soil be covered with a tarp.

Ecosystems also reported that Omega Environmental Services, Inc. stated that the substances detected in the groundwater are not the results of any contaminants migrating from groundwater at a different location. Soil tested showed concentrations of carbon and fuel due to the high level of traffic in the Midland Avenue and Pondfield Road area.

"We don't have absolutely clean 'anything' in our communities," Trustee Randy Mayer observed. "It's important to understand what levels can be acceptable and conform to them." He added that having to tolerate these types of environmental imperfections is not optimal, "but it's just the way life works."

Marvin told the trustees that Ecosystems Strategies, Inc. is currently working on reports generated from testing at the Marbledale Road site in Tuckahoe.

Pictured here: Hayes Field taken from the school playground.

Photo by A. Warner