Middletown project team says contaminated soil will be removed; testing continues and some stockpiles headed to Johnston landfill

Project staff updated the committees on soil testing and stockpile management for materials excavated from the Middletown Middle/High School site. The team has staged tested stockpiles at nearby HuguenDorn property and reported that most material will be reused for site restoration but that an initial roughly 40 cubic yards tested above residential criteria and is approved for removal to Johnston Landfill once permits and transport are arranged. Justin and Colliers explained the sampling methodology (initially using 500-cubic-yard pile sampling and later test pits where piles were smaller) and said testing follows thresholds set by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Some preliminary retests showed slightly elevated measures and were sent for confirmation; the original ~40 cubic yards have a path for transport to Johnston and have been approved to go there. Town administrator Sean Brown stated unequivocally that “no contaminated soil will be kept at Huguendorn’s. Anything that is contaminated will leave Middletown. That’s an absolute.” Project staff said soil testing and stockpile decisions are ongoing, that the project has a contingency allocation for soils (previously estimated at about $2.7 million), and that some of that contingency will be used while the team works to reduce the overall soil disposal expense through testing and selective reuse. Staff said they expect additional sampling and retesting, and that once the approved material is transported to the Johnston landfill the team will reconcile costs and potential recoveries against the project allowance.