CUPERTINO, Calif. -- The Environmental Protection Agency is perparing to set up a monitoring system for Stevens Creek Elementary School in Cupertino. The school is about two miles from the Lehigh Cement Plant.

The EPA wants to determine whether the hazardous chemical Chromium 6 may be coming from the plant and reaching the school. Chromium is used to in the cement making process. It also is known to cause cancer.

"There's no indication that we have at this time that the chromium levels are high that there is a cause for concern," said Mike Bandrowuski with the EPA, "but we'll be putting monitors in place in July and after a couple of months of sampling, we'll have a better idea of whether there is a problem or not."

The cement plant has been in hills west of Cupertino for some 70 years.

The company says it has conducted its own testing and says there is no sign of high levels of chromium or any other toxic materials being released into the atmoshpere. "Bottom line? We're safe and we welcome any monitoring and we're part of this community," said Tim Matz with Lehigh Cement.

Those against the cement plant said testing for chemicals should have been done years ago.

"When I moved in, I knew there was a cement plant there," said Joyce Eden with West Valley Citizens Air Watch. "But I had no idea that they actually burned 20 tons of fossil fuel per hour, basically 24 hours a day all year long. It's just spewing all over the neighborhood."

Stevens Creek Elementary School is one of four schools being monitored by the EPA, but the only one in Northern California.

The EPA says it hopes to have test results to report to the public by the end of the summer. Meantime, the cement plant is asking Santa Clara County to approve new mining on its property.