The state Environmental Protection Agency officials, however, maintained their approach would leave the site safe for children.

The EPA found lead in the soil at Martin Avenue and 31st Street, where the San Diego Unified School District wants to build the new Laura Rodriguez Elementary School. The environmental officials said that by removing some soil and bringing in fresh dirt, no part of the site would be left with more than 255 parts per million of lead, what state officials said is recognized as a safe level.

Members of the community advocacy group Environmental Health Coalition were at the public meeting at Logan Elementary School last night to argue that virtually any amount of lead is unsafe for children. They urged the officials to do better.

The public meeting, arranged by the EPA's Department of Toxic Substances Control, was conducted in Spanish, with some earphones available for a translation into English. Javier Hinojosa, unit chief of that department's schools evaluation division, said Spanish was used because most of the community members interested in the issue speak Spanish.

Hinojosa's department is charged with developing a cleanup plan for the school district.

The department plans to remove 545 tons of dirt, and the work could be done by December.

Leticia Ayala of the Environmental Health Coalition said she wants the state to consider alternatives that remove more lead.

After the meeting, Hinojosa said that officials would consider the comments from the meeting but that he had heard nothing that made him doubt the state's plan would be sufficient.

Ayala said her group may appeal to the school board to seek a more aggressive cleanup or urge the board to find another site.