School judged safe despite some mold

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Friday, August 19, 2005

School judged safe despite some mold

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/237214_arborheights19.html

By JESSICA BLANCHARD

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Arbor Heights Elementary students will be able to return to their

classrooms when school starts Sept. 7, though some mold and standing

water still remain underneath one wing of the building.

, an independent toxicologist hired to study the mold

problem at the West Seattle school, said Thursday that it will be

safe for classes to be held in those rooms.

District workers have installed large air vents in each classroom

and exhaust fans below, which prevents air from the crawl space from

getting into the classrooms, he said.

Engineers are still trying to pinpoint the sources of the water that

pooled underneath the classrooms for months. They've determined the

water is likely from leaks in the school's drainage system, and are

repairing leaks in the roof drain lines and preparing to pump the

standing water out from beneath the classrooms.

" Things are getting fixed fast, as soon as they're identified, "

said.

That's a change from last spring, when the district was criticized

for not responding more quickly to parent and teacher concerns that

students had been exposed to the mold and other potential health

hazards.

Four Arbor Heights teachers ultimately filed a complaint with the

state Department of Labor and Industries, which earlier this month

fined the district $2,800 for five labor violations.

Several of the violations occurred last spring, when district

workers entered the crawl space below one of the classrooms and

disturbed some asbestos-wrapped pipes.

The crawl space wasn't sealed off, so asbestos particulates could

have been stirred up and sifted through the cracks in the classroom

floor, L & I spokeswoman Elaine Fischer said.

" They didn't find any known exposures, but the potential was there, "

she said.

L & I fined the district for failing to ensure the asbestos was

encapsulated, enclosed, repaired or removed, and for failing to tell

its employees of the presence of the asbestos-containing material.

Because the district was cited last year for the same violation, the

fine this time was doubled.

The main violation has since been corrected, Fischer said.

P-I reporter Blanchard can be reached at 206-448-8322 or

jessicablanchard@....