Delay in cancer study at Corona is questioned

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Delay in cancer study at Corona is questioned

Arizona Republic - Phoenix,AZ*

Dianna M. Náñez

The Arizona Republic

Apr. 1, 2008

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0401tr-

corona0402inside.html

While newly released public records show a cancer-cluster study at

Corona del Sol High School was proposed more than a year ago,

questions remain about who denied funding the study.

Tempe Union High School District and Health Effects Group, an

environmental consultant that sent the proposal to the Arizona

School Risk Retention Trust, have referred questions about the

health study to the trust.

Littell, a district spokeswoman, has said the trust referred

the district to Health Effects after the district notified the trust

of mounting health complaints in 2006 from Corona staff.

Littell has acknowledged that the trust handled the insurance claim

for Health Effects to test for mold and the air-quality at the

school. But she said the trust had to answer questions about funding

the investigation of illnesses.

In response to The Republic's public-records request, the trust

released a copy of all Health Effects proposals last week. The

proposal to study cancer rates at the school was addressed to the

trust and dated Aug. 31, 2006.

An attorney for the trust said Tuesday that he did not know if the

trust denied paying for the $2,400 proposal.

reasoned funding was " moot issue " now that the

Arizona Department of Health Services was conducting a study to

track cancer and tumors. According to the Arizona Department of

Health Services the confidential questionnaire was provided last

month for free through the agency's Arizona Cancer Registry.

Diane Meulemans, the district's chief financial officer, said

Tuesday that she recalled attending a meeting following the August

2006 receipt of the proposals. She said representatives from the

district, trust and the Arizona School Alliance for Workers'

Compensation were present and representatives from Health Effects

participated by phone.

Meulemans said the meeting was scheduled to discuss the " urgent "

issues at Corona del Sol High School.

Meulemans said she does not recall the discussion turning to a

refusal to fund the health study. She acknowledged that the trust

could later, unbeknownst to her, have made a decision on the issue.

" I don't remember anybody saying we weren't going to do the cancer

survey, " she said. " We were putting our focus on what was most

important. Maybe it fell through the cracks. It was all about 'we

need to get the mold, we need to look at removing the carpets and at

the facility.' "

According to Meulemans the district split the cost of Health

Effects' bill for air-quality testing at the school. Mold cleanup

has cost about $84,000, of which the trust paid $25,000, she added.

On Thursday, the Arizona School Facilities Board will review its

decision last year to deny the district emergency funding to repair

Corona's failing ventilation system. Health Effects' study stated

the 30-year-old ventilation system is contributing to the poor air-

quality and mold growth at the school.

The district says it now has cleaned the mold and begun repairing

the ventilation system but it hopes the state board will reverse its

decision and approve funding the estimated $11 million needed to

complete the repairs.

The School Facilities' Board public meeting is scheduled from 10

a.m. to noon at the Prescott Unified School District office, 140 S.

Granite St.

The cancer/tumor questionnaire is available at Corona's front office

and online on the district and school Web site. The deadline for

current and former staff and students to turn it in is April 16.