Bishop Well: Health Department gives Galeton Elementary greenlight

Published on April 18, 2025

A major milestone in the recovery efforts from the Bishop Well Incident was reached today when the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment (WCDPHE) informed Eaton School District Superintendent, Jay Tapia, that the cleaning of the Galeton Elementary School facility has been completed, and staff and students can return to the facility when Tapia is ready.

The elementary school building, which is located at the edge of the ½ mile evacuation perimeter established by emergency response agencies when the Bishop Well incident began April 6, has been closed since April 7. The Galeton Elementary students were transported to Benjamin Eaton Elementary school for this week, April 14 to18.

“The remediation and clean-up of the Galeton Elementary facility was based off of precautionary measures and not on contamination concerns during the Bishop Well Incident,” said Peter Graham, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for WCDPHE. “It was agreed by incident responders that the school would undergo a thorough remediation for the safety and assurity of the students and staff.”

Graham, who has been involved in the containment and recovery process almost from the beginning of the Bishop Well Incident, has also helped facilitate and monitor air quality during the Bishop Well event, including monitoring for action levels for air quality as established by the EPA and other regulatory agencies for hydrocarbon compounds.

“WCDPHE staff has reviewed and agreed to the containment and recovery plans for affected areas,” said Graham, whose roll includes ensuring the scientific results of all air monitoring programs are received and reviewed for accuracy.

While air monitoring will continue at the elementary school location for the foreseeable future, the completion of the cleaning process coupled with the satisfactory air quality results allows the school district the ability to resume classes at its discretion.

Cleaning the Galeton Elementary School facility

Outside

A professional exterior company was contracted by Chevron for the process of remediation and cleanup of the exterior of Galeton Elementary and its outlying buildings. This company, which has previously worked on other large scale remediation projects around the United States and overseas, is highly respected by emergency managers. The cleanup process included the complete exterior and roof of the buildings as well as the playground and other outdoor areas; removal and replacement of the gravel and mulch on the school grounds.

Inside

Another professional company was contracted by Chevron to extensively clean the interior of the school and the outlying buildings. This included surfaces and areas used by staff and students during their normal daily activities. All of the HVAC filters have been replaced, and the HVAC system was monitored as a precaution during the clean-up process.

For questions about testing or remediation of the site, please contact 970-400-2206.

For additional information about the Bishop Well incident, as well as information and contacts for responding and regulatory agencies, please visit the Weld County Bishop Well Incident webpage.