Park City School District details safety measures at Treasure Mountain Sports Complex construction

Photo: Park City School District

All excavation is designed to stay above the layer where contaminated soils begin roughly six inches below the surface.

PARK CITY, Utah — Construction has entered its first phase at the future Treasure Mountain Sports Complex, and Park City School District officials say extensive safeguards are in place to keep students, staff, and neighbors safe.

Crews this week began stripping surface organics and preparing to import clean fill at the fenced-off work site, where access is restricted to authorized personnel, according to according to a district statement. The protective cap that covers historic mine waste “remains in place and has not been penetrated,” the release noted, adding that all excavation is designed to stay above the layer where contaminated soils begin roughly six inches below the surface.

A full-time environmental consultant is monitoring air quality, soil disturbance, and adherence to the project’s soils-management plan. The consultant reports directly to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, which oversees compliance with an Environmental Covenant issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Additional precautions include:

• A water truck is on site daily to control dust.
• Placement of clean soil and rock to improve drainage for planned turf fields.
• Positive-pressure ventilation is being used at nearby schools and the district office to prevent outside air from entering buildings.
• Weekly replacement of HVAC filters as “an added layer of protection,” the district said.

Officials emphasized that no contaminated material has been exposed during the early grading work.

The complex, planned for the former Treasure Mountain Junior High campus, has been in development for over a year. TownLift previously reported the Park City Planning Commission approved modified athletic-facility plans for the site on June 26, clearing a key regulatory hurdle. 

District leaders said they will provide regular construction updates and encouraged community members with questions to contact the district office directly.