Orchard Elementary School

Prior to the 1960s, the Orchard School property was used by the Village of Ridgewood as a landfill for residential boiler coal ash. In order to facilitate the construction of the Orchard School, soil fill was brought in to cover the coal ash and raise the grade of the property in certain areas. This soil fill was found to contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), lead, and arsenic at concentrations above the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Residential Soil Remediation Standards.

Although the PAHs are the same materials used in typical asphalt surfaces and are widespread in the urban environment, the soil needed to be removed and replaced or covered with additional clean fill in order to remain in compliance with the NJDEP requirements. Lead and arsenic are metals that occur naturally in the environment. It is believed that concentrations at these levels are primarily due to the material used to cap the ash, as well as atmospheric deposition from coal burning furnaces and similar sources in the area. One such example is the former coal gasification plant that operated next door to the school.

The BOE removed and replaced surface soil with clean soil and/or bury the existing soil with clean soil by hand digging and the use of excavation machines. Historical information as well as updates concerning the Orchard property and the adjacent neighborhood are below.