Another School Site Scrutinized.

Even after the environmentally plagued Belmont Learning Complex became a public embarrassment, L.A. school officials reportedly moved to acquire industrial property for two new South Gate schools without understanding that cleanup costs could reach $20 million or determining whether the project was feasible.

The land acquisition team's efforts to push the South Gate project toward a July 2001 opening reportedly touched off an intense behind-the-scenes battle that climaxed with a Board of Education decision to name a new chief executive over all district operations.

The team told board members that that senior staff had not provided critical information to them or the superintendent and that conditions were potentially worse than those at Belmont.

A soon-to-be-released study of the South Gate site is expected to support a decision not to proceed on the project because of protracted cleanup time and the presence of two underground pipelines, one carrying natural gas and the other gasoline.

Meanwhile, an independent panel headed by former District Attorney Ira Reiner recommended that the school district continue with work on Belmont rather than abandon the troubled $200 million project.