The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality will help three local school districts clean up contamination from underground storage tanks on the districts' property.
Tucson Unified School District, Amphitheater Public Schools and Marana Unified School District are among 17 school districts statewide that will receive assistance.
The department will clean up leaks at Marana Middle School, and the maintenance facilities in the Amphitheater and Tucson districts, said department spokesman Mark Shaffer.
The three districts, as well as Catalina Foothills School District and the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, will also receive technical assistance to ensure that underground storage tanks are properly maintained to prevent further leaks, according to a department press release.
The storage tanks released either gasoline or diesel that needs to be cleaned, Shaffer said.
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The leaks were caused by the corrosion of the tanks, many of which were built in the early 1980s, he said.
The Marana and Tucson districts have raised their tanks above ground to prevent further contamination of the soil and water. Amphitheater still operates its tank below the ground, he said.
The department will use money from the State Assurance Fund, which is a remediation fund for underground storage tanks, to clean up contaminated soil and groundwater on district property.
The districts had to report the leaks to the department in June 2006 to be eligible for assistance. Each district will receive up $500,000 in assistance, Shaffer said.
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