[Headline] 2 Globevile schools cleared of heavy metal danger

[Subheading] Study results in court's dismissal of parents' bid to keep son out of first grade at Garden Place

By Greg Lopez
Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer

Students at two Globeville elementary schools are not exposed to unacceptable levels of lead, cadmium and arsenic from the ASARCO Globe Plant, according to a study released this week.

The study, commissioned by Denver Public Schools, tested air and dust inside and outside Swan-sea and Garden Place elementary schools in the Globeville neighbor-hood for the three substances, all of which are believed to cause cancer.

All levels were lower than federal guidelines for exposure, although most were higher than normal. The study suggested that air filters be used and areas in the school be cleaned regularly to lessen exposure.

The study, the most comprehensive look so far at the old smelter's effect on the schools, is one of many studies of pollution from the ASARCO plant.

A motion filed by Wade and Lois Blank seeking to keep their son from entering first grade at Gar-den Place was denied yesterday in Denver District Court after the study was presented.

The Blanks said they are satisfied that the schools are safe.

"This is good news for every-body who has their children there," Wade Blank said. "I'm happy for them, if the study is accurate."

The Blanks said they have en-rolled their son, Lincoln, 6, in the private Gilpin Grammar School be-cause they are angry that DPS ignored earlier requests for information about the safety of the school.

The study, conducted by Chemistry and Industrial Hygiene Inc. of Wheat Ridge, found that cadmium levels at Swansea, 4650 Columbine St., were a concern because students also may be exposed to heavy metal outside of school.

At Garden Place, 4425 Lincoln St., the major concern was the level of lead concentration in dust, a problem possibly caused by lead-based paint. The study also noted that lead-based paint poses a similar problem in other older Denver schools.

The study concludes that, "there are no environmental conditions at the two schools which would result in arsenic, cadmium and lead exposures to children or staff which represent unacceptable health risks if school management continues and/or implements appropriate control procedures."

The study is only the latest development in more than a decade of concerns about emissions by ASARCO.

ASARCO plant officials say their operation meets all state, local and federal emission standards.

Nine Globeville residents sued ASARCO last week, charging that the plant has contaminated soil, lowered property values and endangered their health.

[image]
[image caption] Debra Reingold/Rocky Mountain News. Lois and Wade Blank are glad study shows safe schools, but son Lincoln, right, is in private school. At left is daughter Caitlin, 4.

Stapleton Homes, a public housing project in Globeville, was closed last year by the Denver Housing Authority because of fears of toxic pollution, among other reasons.

Tests then showed none of the children in Globeville schools had dangerous concentrations of toxic materials in their bodies, according to the health department.

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