Chesterton Middle School - No air problems found in state health inspection

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No air problems found at CMS in state health inspection

By VICKI URBANIK

A state inspection of Chesterton Middle School's indoor air quality has

given the school a generally clean bill of health.

The Indiana Department of Health found no problems with fungus, bacteria,

formaldehyde or humidity. The inspection did find higher than recommended

levels of carbon dioxide in two rooms, but this problem has since been

resolved with the installation of air filter and an increase in the air

exchange volume, said Duneland Director of Special Services Mark McKibben.

The state inspection was prompted by complaints from parents who reported

that their children have been ill for unknown reasons since attending CMS at

the start of the year.

But the state's most recent inspection is in keeping with previous tests

that found no problems in the school.

" There's nothing we can point to to say the building has a problem, " said

Duneland Superintendent H. Hewlett.

In a letter to school officials dated on Friday of last week, the Indiana

Department of Health said it received a letter from a parent claiming that

CMS students were experiencing respiratory problems. The state said it

contacted the parents of 10 other students reported to have respiratory

problems and contacted two physicians referred by the parents involved.

On March 5, a team of three ISDH industrial hygienist conducted an

evaluation, checking for temperature and humidity and collecting air samples

for carbon dioxicide, mold, formaldehyde and volatile organic carbons.

The ISDH found that fungus and bacterial counts outdoors were higher than

any area inside the building, meaning that mold is " not being amplified "

indoors.

The ISDH also recorded a reading of .025 parts per million of airborne

formaldehyde in room B 125, lower than the guideline not to exceed .1 ppm.

" Again, since formaldehyde was well below the suggested level for all

samples collected, formaldehyde does not appear to present a problem and we

have no recommendation to offer, " states the ISDH letter.

As requested by school officials, the ISDH also tested for carbon dioxide in

rooms C 140 and C 142. The highest reading found was 1,175 parts per

million, above the level when CO2 is considered elevated at 1,000 ppm. The

state ordered that Duneland stop using the two rooms as classrooms until

outside air can be introduced.

McKibben said the day after the inspection, the school system changed air

filters and the fan speed. Last week, the CO2 reading showed the level was

below 400 ppm, far below the guideline.

The ISDH's report stated that dust was visible on the basketball backboard

supports in the gym and that it recommends that the area including the roof

support beams be cleaned. McKibben said he intends to contract out for the

cleaning so as not to put school employees in danger.

The ISDH also reported that a parent stated that sometimes after school, the

door to the pool is kept open. The ISDH recommended that the door be kept

closed to minimize exposure to chorine. Even at extremely low levels,

chlorine can cause problems for people suffering from asthma and allergies,

the ISDH said.

In a statement released Thursday, the Duneland Schools said keeping the pool

door open has not been the practice and has not been observed by school

staff. However, the statement said, all pool staff will ensure that the door

is kept closed.

The ISDH also recommeded removal of water-stained ceiling tiles in the

industrial arts-computer roms, which could be a medium for mold growth.

The tiles have since been replaced.

Duneland's statement, prepared by Hewlett and CMS Principal Ton, noted

that the ISDH inspection follows a series of other tests, including a

December inspection by the Porter County Health Department that found no

evidence of mold in areas of CMS questioned by parents, a February

inspection by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that found

no violations for asbestos, and a February test by an independent lab that

found no violation in the hallway water cooler or in the pool water cooler

chlorine levels.

Duneland's statement says the school corporation has focused its attention

on the areas of CMS questioned by parents and has made all suggested

modifications. The statement goes on to say that Duneland shares all parent

concerns for the school environment and appreciates the assistance that

local and state agencies have given in evaluating the health of the

building.

The school corporation welcomes any inspection of Chesterton Middle School

that will increase its effectiveness, add to an overall healthy environment,

and help create a quality middle school program for the students of our

community, " the statement says.

Posted 3/29/2002