Board resolves to handle staff, student complaints
Issues at JMHS revolve around construction work & removal of asbestos
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

Students and staff members at Jackson Memorial High School want to know they are safe from harmful asbestos while remediation work at the building continues. The issue came up at the Jackson Board of Education's Jan. 16 meeting.

One board member said comments made that evening were eye-opening and promised further investigation into the issue.

In acknowledging the comments that were going to be made that evening, Superinten-dent of Schools Thomas Gialanella said, "Many people here are concerned with the air quality testing that has been done, and some of the work that has been done, at Jackson Memorial. We are confident in the tests that were performed. We are confident that the school has always been safe for our students and staff."

Jay Murray, a consultant with Environ-mental Design, addressed the issue of asbestos, saying, "An abatement contractor was hired through a public bid obtained by the board. My firm was hired to do post-abatement air sampling after the abatement contractor completed the work."

Murray said asbestos abatement contractors were on-site to ensure the work was compliant with state and federal regulations.

"We took transmission electron microscope (TEM) samples in all of the areas where abatement took place over the summer," Murray said. "That consisted of floor tiles, laboratory tiles and some window sills. There were also some pipe fittings, the elbow joints, not the pipes themselves."

He said all of the samplings were fine over the summer. Then the general contractors went ahead with the building renovations. It was there, in some areas where they needed to work, that they ran into some pipes that had asbestos fittings, he said.

Murray said additional contractors were hired to remove, wrap and cut the fittings so as to remove the problem materials.

"There are no air samplings required, post-removal, because it is not considered asbestos abatement," he explained. "[Wrapping and cutting elbow fittings is] considered disposal according to the state Department of Community Affairs."

Murray said district administrators decided to do additional samplings in and around all of the areas where the fittings were.

"Fifty air samples were taken from around the A, B and C wings," said Murray. "Out of all the samples taken, only one had a couple of asbestos fibers on it and that was well below the safe threshold for post-abatement air samples."

In October, room 139, one girls bathroom and a custodial closet had some fittings that were disturbed and were lying on the floor. According to federal guidelines, workers were required to isolate the area and do an operation and maintenance cleanup and that was essentially it, he said.

Additional air samples were taken and there was either no asbestos detected in the air or the level was below the allowed amount.

The state "came down and asked us to run additional samples in the C wing," said Murray. "That was after the contractors made a lot of dust in the C wing. Fifteen samples were taken and no (asbestos) fibers were detected. It's bordering on comical the number of samples that were taken in order to satisfy some of the complaints that have been made."

Murray said there is no reason why the JMHS C wing should not be occupied.

During the public portion of the meeting, JMHS junior Tom Ranzweiler addressed the board, saying, "Many students have noticed a change in the air quality. They have been feeling the effects in their lungs. Students have asked the teachers what's happening. Some teachers in the C wing have worn masks."

Ranzweiler asked why it took administrators so long to send home a letter regarding the issues.

Gialanella said he met with teachers on Nov. 7 to discuss concerns about construction noise and dust. He said he found that the builder was not following directions in the contract. He said the builder in question was pulled off the job and has not been back during the school day since.

Administrators believed that settled the issue, but it has come up again with the concerns about asbestos and other pollutants, Gialanella said.

"I think we tried to address that with the comments from Mr. Murray," the superintendent said, adding that he hopes to have the C wing and the other projects done by the beginning of the second semester.

"Why weren't teachers allowed to talk to anybody?" Ranzweiler asked.

"There was nothing from the central administration telling teachers not to talk to anybody," Gialanella told him. "I'm sure some teachers talked to you about it."

Ann M. McCormick, who teaches chemistry in the C wing, addressed the board, saying, "We're here tonight to tell you what we know to solve the problem. Oct. 16 was the first time we made a complaint to Mrs. (Debra) Schoof, our association representative in our building."

McCormick said she told Schoof about the construction noise and dirt.

"One morning I stuck my head out of the classroom door in time to see a cloud of dust going down the hall," McCormick said, adding that the cloud of dust was created by a workman who dropped a bag of grout in a bathroom.

The C wing staff met with Gialanella on Nov. 7 to discuss the issues.

"We asked about the asbestos that was abated," McCormick said. "Where was the asbestos abated. When was it abated and who abated the asbestos."

She said the teachers were told that all of the asbestos was removed during the summer by two companies in different locations.

"We have not seen the reports," she said.

McCormick said she later found out the abatement took place while students were in the C wing, referring to a department of health report which she said indicated there were four pipe joints from which a plumber knocked asbestos off and asbestos was on the floor.

She said she spoke with the plumber and he denied that the asbestos was knocked off the pipe. She said it is not known how long the asbestos was on the ground.

"I am grateful for every test that was done, but I can't say that no fibers were ever found," McCormick said.

The teacher said administrators have to recognize that mistakes were made and move on from there.

"Something is not right here," McCormick said.

Students were told to empty their lockers over the winter break.

"There were things on their books, on their coats," said McCormick. "Whether or not there were any asbestos fibers there, we'll never know."

McCormick told the board members that no one in the C wing has been trying to create hysteria or alter the truth. She said the teachers have made every effort to go through the proper channels to address the issues of concern to them.

"We want to do the right thing for this district," she said.

Responding to the presentation, board President Linda Lackay thanked McCormick for obtaining and presenting the information to the board.

"At no time did this board ever purposely allow any harm to come to our students," Lackay said.

"That's why we're here tonight," McCormick responded. "We can't believe you knew what was going on. We don't even think Mr. Gialanella knew either."

Board member Gus Acevedo asked his fellow board members to meet to discuss the matter in regard to the possible health hazards, the companies involved and the possibility of hiring another firm to assure the staff, students and parents that the school has a healthy environment.

"Because there is no [other] way you will be convinced," Acevedo said. "We have to know the facts. There will be no halfway measures. Both sides have to be satisfied. Let's fix it."

Board member Marvin Krakower, buildings and grounds chairman, apologized for the situation and said he would like to meet with a small group to make sure that whatever is needed can be done in a safe manner.

"We have to move ahead on a positive note," he said.

John Morvay said that as a board member and a member of the buildings and grounds committee, he was appalled at what he was hearing.

"We were led to believe everything was on the up and up," Morvay said. "The information you brought forth was eye-opening. We will move ahead."