West Virginia school will remain open for now amid toxic groundwater fears

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Category: Education/Family

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Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. relocate / riˈloʊ keɪt / (v.) – to move or make someone/something move from one place to another place
    Example:

    The company decided to relocate its main office to a more accessible location in the city.


  2. contaminated / kənˈtæm ə ˌneɪ tɪd / (adj.) – relating to something that has been exposed to harmful or poisonous substance
    Example:

    The contaminated soil and water made it difficult for farmers to grow their plants in the area.


  3. devastate / ˈdɛv əˌsteɪt / (v.) – to cause someone to feel very sad, upset, and hurt about something
    Example:

    The manager’s resignation will devastate the team because they are very close to each other.


  4. unanticipated / ˌʌn ænˈtɪs əˌpeɪ tɪd / (adj.) – not expected to happen
    Example:

    His unanticipated victory against last year’s champion surprised everyone.


  5. reinstate / ˌri ɪnˈsteɪt / (v.) – to restore or put someone/something back to a former position or condition
    Example:

    The investigation proved that the manager was not involved in the theft. So, he will be reinstated.


Article

Read the text below.

A small West Virginia school will remain open for now after a court temporarily blocked an effort to relocate classes due to the town’s contaminated groundwater being added to a national cleanup priority list.


Last June, Wetzel County Schools Superintendent Cassandra R. Porter announced that students, faculty and staff at Paden City High School would be relocated to existing schools in nearby New Martinsville when classes resume this month.


However, attorneys representing a group of those students, faculty and staff filed a petition seeking to block the move, according to news outlets. The petition argued that the federal government did not recommend closing the school because there was no health risk and that closing the school would “devastate” the community.


“Based upon the petition, there appears to be no emergency, the status of Paden City as a Superfund Site has been known for many years and these conditions are not unforeseen or unanticipated,” Circuit Judge Richard Wilson wrote in his ruling.


Wilson ordered that the school’s teachers, staff and faculty be reinstated and that the school immediately reopen.


A hearing was scheduled on July 25 to determine if the school will remain open.


In March 2022, federal environmental officials placed Paden City’s groundwater on the list of Superfund cleanup sites. Untreated groundwater contained the solvent tetrachloroethylene at levels higher than the federally allowed limit.


Tetrachloroethylene is widely used by dry cleaners. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the contaminated area is around the site of a dry cleaner that closed more than two decades ago in the Ohio River town of about 2,500 residents.


According to the EPA, tetrachloroethylene is a likely carcinogen and can harm the nervous system, liver, kidneys and reproductive system.


Paden City is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Pittsburgh.


This article was provided by The Associated Press. 


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • Wetzel County Schools Superintendent Cassandra R. Porter announced that students, faculty, and staff at Paden City High School would be relocated due to the town’s contaminated groundwater. In your opinion, how can water contamination impact the school? If you were living in the area, would you relocate? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • The school will remain open as a court temporarily blocked the effort to relocate classes. What do you think the community should do before the school starts to ensure everyone is safe? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • The area’s groundwater is believed to be contaminated by a dry cleaner business that closed over two decades ago. In this case, which organization should be held responsible (ex. local government, the owner of the business)? What actions should the organization take? Discuss.
  • If you were living in an area with contaminated water, what compensation would you ask from the local government? Discuss.