Old Baloney

I received newspaper clippings from a friend this past week. It was not reassuring to read the following from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (dated July 31, 2009). "DISTRICT SCRAPS PLAN FOR SCHOOLS IN FACTORY...Officials point to concerns over safety and contamination". That factory is located at 690 Saint Paul were I spent the last school year. I don't like the possibility of being exposed to toxic substances. I like it even less for my students. 690 Saint Paul was going to be used for two schools again this year. That will not happen. "...community pressure to scrap the plan mounted after the Democrat and Chronicle first reported in May that the owner of the factory, Genesee Valley Real Estate Co., had applied to the state brownfield program for tax credits to clean up the site, used for decades by Bausch & Lomb Inc". This address has a history of problems. Why didn't the owner of the site prepare the place properly before placing 1,200 plus students and staff at risk? Why didn't the district wait for more information about possible concerns before leasing the property for 15 years for nearly 1 million dollars annually?
The district scrapped the 2009-2010 plans. "The development is an about-face for the district, which as recently as May had sent a letter to parents and staff of the two schools stressing that toxic substances found at the site, including the probable human carcinogen trichloroethene, or TCE, 'do not present a health concern to students or staff ' ". Wouldn't it make sense that an old Bausch & Lomb factory more than 90 years old might contain contaminants?
How could an owner be so irresponsible? "State Department of Environmental Conservation officials have said that the contaminated soil was left so Genesee Valley could submit a cleanup plan. But environmental officials have said the company did not contact the agency until late last summer, as preparations to build a playground near the contaminated soil were under way". Many students played on that playground last year. I took students to that playground last year.
The other two schools slated to be housed in that factory for this year (schools Dr. Walter Cooper Academy and School 14) will be located elsewhere. However, 690 Saint Paul will now house the district employee reassignment center, computer centers and other district offices. I wonder whether any officials from Central Office would be willing to work at 690 Saint Paul? I also wonder whether the owner...whoever he or she may be at the Genesee Valley Real Estate Co. would be willing to house offices at 690 Saint Paul?