Mould concerns close Enderby school

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Mould concerns close Enderby school

Discovery of black substance adds to worries about the health of

pupils at 95-year-old building

Vancouver Sun - British Columbia, Canada*

Canwest News Service

Published: Friday, February 08, 2008

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=8e3cd6ff-b682-

4a62-b418-b3f0002d7d9b

ENDERBY -- Some areas of a North Okanagan elementary school have

been shut down following a disturbing discovery in the building's

ceiling.

Parents of children at MV Beattie School in Enderby have been

sounding the alarm recently over the mould and asbestos in the

basement of their 95-year-old building.

Some have gone so far as to pull their kids from the school.

Principal Carl assured parents the school was safe, but on

Wednesday school officials found something on some ceiling tiles

that changed his mind.

" In two locations, we found an unknown black substance, " he said.

" I have no idea what it is. We've locked those areas off. We've

removed children from one class. "

Gallagher, of the Parents Action Committee, also saw the

substance.

" I mean I'm not a mould expert, so I can't say for sure that it's

mould, but it sure looks like all the pictures I've seen of mould, "

he said.

The Interior Health Authority is planning to test the air in the

building, as well as the substance. And the school district's

superintendent said if there are any concerns, remedial action will

be taken immediately.

However, some parents say they won't be satisfied until a new school

is built.

" The problem with scientific evidence is five experts say one thing

and five say another.

" We're going more on a preponderance of evidence. We've had numerous

staff and students over the years who have had issues in this

building. "

Those issues, say parents, include six teachers being diagnosed with

cancer in recent years.

The black substance was found after a public meeting where local

parents vented their concerns.

One parent who pulled her seven-year-old daughter from the school

said her child has suffered from constant coughing and sore throats.

" I pulled her from school two weeks ago because she would go for a

week and a half, be sick for three weeks.

" The doctor prescribed an inhaler, which she never had to have

[before]. "