Methane found beneath Kettler

Jenny Marder

City and school officials will meet with parents and area residents

today to explain plans to treat methane gas that has been found at

and around Kettler Elementary School.

Methane gas was first discovered in 1999 at Edison Community Park,

which sits adjacent to the school. At the time, the Orange County

Health Care Agency directed the city and the Huntington Beach City

School District to install five gas-monitoring probes along a

five-acre, district-owned lot next to the park, intended be used as a

grass playing field.

The lot and the park were part of an old landfill, formerly known

as the Cannery Street Refuse Disposal Station.

The issue reared its head again this fall when school officials

began planning improvements at the playground.

“I wanted to do some further investigation,” said Dick Masters,

supervisor of construction and facilities for the school district. “I

wanted to ensure that we wouldn’t have a problem in replacing asphalt

on the asphalt playground.”

Tests taken in November and again on Jan. 19 found methane emissions five feet underground at the school site. There were no

methane emissions detected at the surface level or near any of the

classrooms or portables at the elementary school.

Officials are looking into the problem.

“The district will certainly take any action necessary if

consultants feel there is any danger involved,” Masters said.

Kettler parent Michael Rangel, who has a son in kindergarten, said

parents need more information.

“I just want them to tell me that it’s safe for my kid to be at

that school,” Rangel said.

Representatives from the school district, the city fire department

and the public works department, and an environmental consultant will

be at the informational meeting.

“The purpose is to address the concerns of parents and staff,”

Masters said. “It’s an informational meeting, and we’ll have several

people there to answer questions.”

The meeting will be at 3 p.m. today in the library at Kettler

Elementary School, 8750 Dorsett Drive.

For more information, call (714) 964-8888.