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Housing project waits on toxic cleanup MORA DRIVE BUSINESSES GET ANOTHER 18 MONTHS TO RELOCATE By Daniel DeBolt
with any unexpected problems and that the Department of Toxic ingering toxic chemicals in Substance Control also has subthe groundwater and soil stantial funds for the cleanup, as under 2274 Mora Drive is Plessey Micro Science declared being blamed for the delay of the bankruptcy years ago. development of as many as 250 “We are not sure if there is still homes on a 10-acre site. a source of contaminants under The plume of mostly Trichoro- the former Plessey building,” said ethylene (TCE) and Perchlo- Russ Edmondson, media officer roethylene (PCE) — cancer- for the Department of Toxic causing solvents left behind Substance Control. According to by 1960s electronic component DTSC reports, indoor air TCE manufacturer Plessey Micro Sci- concentrations were recently ence — has been a challenge higher than the limits for plumes for housing developers, two of under residential buildings, even whom have backed out of deals though “the soil vapor extracto develop the site tion system that since 2011, said Plessey operated Marty Chiechi of Scott Simon says for a number of Grubb & Ellis, a years was intendreal estate broker he’s never been ed to reduce involved in the concentrations,” deals. informed about Edmondson said. The city gave Despite that, no the potential property ownindoor air samers on the site 25 pling has been health effects years notice that done to make the area would occupants of TCE vapors. sure be redeveloped as are safe from TCE housing in 2012. vapors, known to Over a dozen cause cancer and small businesses occupy buildings other health problems. on the cul-de-sac, and many comThe fact that no indoor air plained in 2012 that they didn’t testing has been done is “just not know about the deadline and did comforting,” said Scott Simon of not have time to find other suit- Simon Printing, which has occuable buildings. Most remain. pied part of the Plessey building At the start of 2012, the City for 32 years. He added that he’s Council granted housing develop- never been informed about the ers another 18 months to develop potential health effects of TCE the site, and last month the coun- vapors either, even while toxic cil gave another 18-month exten- cleanup efforts have gone on for sion to developers. years around his building, and The latest developer to give the he says holes have recently been site a shot, Lenar Homes, says drilled through his floor to inject that it has a workable plan to substances into the ground that clean up the site. help break down the plume. “The environmental situation “Currently each unit of the was something that required a building has an operating busilot of work,” said Douglas Rich ness in it. That’s why we plan to of Lenar Homes. “We have done collect (groundwater) samples a lot of military base conversions once a developer removes the so we have a lot of expertise with buildings,” Edmondson said. “It environmental contamination.” would be easier and not interfere The situation is complicated with the businesses.” because of fears that there is Edmondson said housing still a source of contamination developers would be required under the buildings, such as an to place systems under the undiscovered underground stor- homes to prevent vapors from age tank. “You never know until entering the new homes, as has you demolish the building and been done in numerous houssee what’s under the buildings,” ing projects near the Fairchild Chiechi said, adding that Lenar Semiconductor Superfund site has set aside $1.6 million to deal on Whisman Road.
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MICHELLE LE
Second-grader Mikel looks away as school nurse Jennifer Thornton gives him an insulin shot at Bubb Elemenary School on Oct. 7.
The school nurse will see you now ADDITIONAL NURSE, NEW SYSTEMS HELP SCHOOL DISTRICT’S STUDENTS STAY HEALTHY By Nick Veronin
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hings are running much more smoothly these days for the Mountain View Whisman School District’s team of nurses. There’s a new addition to the team, and now that she is up to speed and the rest of the district’s health services department has gotten comfortable with the paperless studenttracking system, everything is moving faster, according to Sue Barrie, the district’s most senior nurse, with 31 years at the district. Local elementary
and middle school students are receiving better care than they ever have before, she said. “It’s made such a difference,” Barrie said, referring to the addition of both nurse Jennifer Thornton and the new digital system, InfoSnap, to keep track of the medical needs of students. Before Thornton came on last October, the district’s medical staff had been reduced to two full-time nurses and an assistant, which left the nurses scrambling to accomplish their daily routine. Even after Thornton was hired, there
was a learning curve, Barrie said, and it took a while before everything was back on track. New nurse On a recent afternoon, the Voice caught up with Thornton at Bubb Elementary School — one of the four schools she covers for the district. She sat at a circular table with second-grader Mikel Tamura, 7, and took a dab of blood from his thumb and put it on a small, hand-held device that measures blood sugar. See SCHOOL NURSE, page 15
Dog fight ends with pet stabbed to death By Daniel DeBolt
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nimal Control officers are investigating whether a Mountain View resident was justified in stabbing a neighbor’s dog to death after it allegedly attacked her Italian greyhound. “My understanding is her dog (a small Italian greyhound) was being attacked by this other dog (a large Labrador retriever),” said Sgt. Dan Vicencio of the Mountain View Police Department.
“It’s a question of whether she was (acting) aggressively or if she did the right thing.” The owner of the Labrador, Heidi Faith, said in an email that her dog Chloe “did not deserve this vicious death. Yes, she escaped from the yard, was not on a leash and chased the other dog from in front of our house down the street to the other dog’s house.” Faith added that her dog was a 9-year-old rescue. “She had been breeder dog in a puppy mill before being dumped on the side of the
road. She was an affectionate and vibrant dog who was learning what living in a house was like.” The incident occurred on the 2000 block of Mardell Way on the afternoon of Oct. 1. As of Oct. 7, no charges had been filed and no arrests had been made. Vicencio said the city’s new animal control provider, Silicon Valley Animal Control Authority, is conducting an investigation. Those with information about the incident are asked to call (408) 764-0347. V
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October 11, 2013 ■ Mountain View Voice ■ MountainViewOnline.com ■
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