Wiseburn High School and Sports Complex EIR and Technical Studies

The district planned to convert a four-story office building in El Segundo into a 1,200-student high school, entailing extensive demolition and several environmental issues. PlaceWorks prepared five risk assessments—PEA, health risk, electromagnetic field (EMF), pipeline safety, and rail safety. Six other technical studies also supported the EIR, including in-house air quality/GHG, noise, and geohazards.

Later the district proposed to add a joint-use sports complex with a large gymnasium and an aquatics center, which required a supplemental EIR. Because of high methane levels, PlaceWorks devised a subsurface gas remediation system that used venting systems, impenetrable membranes, and a network of indoor and outdoor vapor monitoring probes. Also, nearly half of the aquatics center deviated from the setback requirement for EMF, so PlaceWorks prepared an EMF management plan. The supplemental EIR had no significant impacts after all mitigation measures were applied.