How to Protect Children at Risk in School

[Guest guest]

Some parents of 's school have started a community awareness website.

On this website, are some things that we parents should consider in our

schools for the safety of our children concerning carciogenic materials that

may be present.

http://communities.msn.com/KlondikeCommunityAwareness & naventryid=113

Also, the township we live in in Indiana recently included the following in

their newsletter:

August 2000 Newsletter

Keeping in Focus, Newsletter for Focus on the Future of Unincorporated

Wabash Township

FOCAL POINTS .

GROUP WORRIED ABOUT HIGH NUMBER OF CANCER CASES IN WABASH TOWNSHIP

A group known as Klondike Community Awareness(KCA) has been organizing to

inform the public about what they consider an abnormally high incidence of

cancer in children and staff members at Klondike School. The article below

from the July 28th issue of the Journal-Courier details some of their

concerns.

The members of the group are meeting on a weekly basis and hope to present a

“town meeting” for residents of the township in September. They have

contacted the Indiana State Epidemiologist, Dr. Teclaw, and Ken Barnette of

the Radiation and Indoor Air Division of the US EPA. Some officials at the

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have indicated to

members of the group that a study of the entire township should be

conducted. So far the group’s website lists 19 cases of confirmed cancer

since 1985 in students or staff members at both the Klondike schools. Group

members feel that there are other cases which have yet been counted.

If you are aware of anyone, living or deceased, who lives in the Klondike

area of Wabash Township who has developed cancer, please contact Kathleen

at 463-6470, or via email at donandkathleen@... at

communityawareness@....

If you might be willing to canvas your neighborhood to help them pinpoint

possible cases, please let Kathleen know as well.

The website for the Klondike Community Awareness (KCA) is

http://communities.msn.com/KlondikeCommunityAwareness.

(Recent article in local newspaper)

School study to look for carcinogens: Parents welcome outside probe of

Klondike's environment

By Jeff Parrott, Journal and Courier

Klondike parents concerned about the number of cancer cases among students,

faculty and staff are applauding a recent decision by Tippecanoe School

Corp. to commission an environmental study of the Klondike school buildings.

TSC has hired Alliance Environmental Inc. of Indianapolis to conduct an

environmental and safety compliance audit of the Klondike K-8 campus at 3311

Klondike Road in western Tippecanoe County.

The study, the cost of which is not to exceed $6,500, will include a

comprehensive screening of both Klondike Elementary and Middle Schools for

" carcinogenic, microbial and bioaerosol agents, " the corporation said in a

statement.

The study will include airborne and surface toxins from volatile organic

compounds, fungi and bacteria, as well as chemical agents in the form of

liquids and gases present in cleaning chemicals and other compounds.

TSC Superintendent Wood said the school's water has tested negative

for copper and lead. The upcoming audit will test the water for more

contaminants.

Kathleen , a Klondike Elementary parent who initially raised concerns

about possible cancer-causing chemicals in the school environment, welcomed

news of the audit.

" We were thrilled when we heard the news they were going to be doing the

testing, " she said. " I hope everything is fine, but we'll feel better to

hear it from an outside source. "

A close friend of , Terri Yancey, has wondered whether something in

the school environment may be linked to a rare form of ovarian cancer

diagnosed in her 11-year-old daughter, Brittany.

and Yancey are alarmed by what appears to be a high incidence of

cancer at the school; at least 11 Klondike staff members and six Klondike

students have been diagnosed with cancer in the past 15 years, according to

a list they obtained from recently retired Klondike Elementary Principal

Ardis Wipf.

and other concerned parents say they've since discovered others who

weren't included on the list.

The corporation's statement also indicated that Indiana State Department of

Health epidemiologists have launched a study of " the potential health risks

at the Klondike campus. "

The Klondike campus, at U.S. 52 and Tippecanoe County Road 300 West,

consists of several interconnected buildings with a combined enrollment of

1,412 students.

It won't be the first time the state health department has visited Klondike.

After complaints of headaches, eye irritation and various respiratory

problems surfaced in 1995, the agency conducted an indoor air quality

investigation focusing on ventilation, microbial contaminants and moisture

problems.

The health department concluded that the complainants had " valid concerns "

in some areas of the building, according to a copy of the department's

report.

Four classrooms were found to have carbon dioxide levels above the suggested

guideline of 1,000 parts per million. Excessive levels of mold and bacteria,

which can be respiratory irritants, were found in several classrooms.

Wood stressed that the decision to hire Alliance Environmental should not be

interpreted as an indication that he thinks something is wrong with the

Klondike campus.

" I have no reason to believe the tests will show anything out of the

ordinary, " Wood said. " But perception is reality, and there may be some

parents who perceive a problem, so we want to do all we can to reassure them

that the schools don't have any unacceptable conditions. "

Wood said he hopes to publicly release results from the testing at a press

conference Aug. 11. He plans to follow that up by meeting with parents on

Aug. 14.

Although concerned parents welcomed the tests, they said they plan to

closely monitor Alliance Environmental's work to ensure that all potential

cancer-causing substances are included in the tests.

, Yancey and others met Thursday night at the home of Kruggel,

a Wabash Township resident and co-founder of a local support group for

breast cancer survivors.

At the meeting, the parents named themselves " Klondike Community Awareness "

and drafted a flier they planned to circulate around West Lafayette and

Wabash Township next week.

said the flier will seek out others in the area who've been touched

by cancer and will inform residents of the cancer statistics locally. It

also will refer to the 1995 Indiana State Department of Health investigation

of the schools, she added.

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