Results of Risk Assessment Detailed

The risks of locating a school on the Warrenville site proposed by the Board of Education are ‘far lower’ than most risks people encounter every day.  That is the conclusion of Boelter Associates, the Park Ridge firm that was hired in November to conduct a risk assessment of the18-acre site on which District 200 wants to build a replacement for the aging Hubble Middle School.

The firm examined a number of potential risks, including the worst-case scenarios of a vapor cloud explosion from a propylene storage tank and a toxic VOM air emission from the BP Naperville Campus.  They found that the risk of a vapor cloud explosion is ‘extremely low, comparable to 1 in 10,000,000’ and further determined that the endpoint in the mostly likely case scenario of explosion, would not reach the proposed school site.

In addition, the routine emissions from the BP Campus are comparable to those of any large commercial facility or a typical gasoline station, which the report states actually emits more toxic chemicals than the BP Campus.

The Boelter study included an examination of property surrounding the proposed school, including the BP Naperville Campus south of the proposed school site, which is west of Herrick Road between Warrenville and Galusha Roads.  The following potential hazards were used to evaluate nearby properties:

• Transportation Routes (railroads, major highways, airports)
• Transmission routes (aboveground and underground pipelines, high voltage power lines)
• Radiation sources
• Chemical management (emergency planning and community right-to-know, emergency release notification, toxic chemical release inventory)
• Risk Management Plan Facilities
• Sources of Pollution (hazardous waste disposal and landfills, air pollution, hazardous waste, air emissions, laboratory operations, wind rose analysis, groundwater)
• Historic land use
• Natural hazards (flood plains, wetlands, radon, potable water supply)

A review of these potential hazards identified no significant risks for the proposed school site, which is owned by James McNaughton Builders.  District 200 is currently negotiating for the property, but no agreement on price has been reached.

The risk assessment is one of several steps the District has taken to help assure residents that the proposed school site is safe for students, staff, parents, and the community.  Environmental studies were conducted on the site by the owner and by District 200.  Both reports concluded that the property has no significant environmental issues.  The owner has also entered the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s site remediation program in order to get an NFR letter, indicating the property needs no further remediation and is suitable for building a school. 

Click here to read the full Risk Assessment Report.