Probe of school results in fines

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Posted on Sun, Apr. 30, 2006

Probe of school results in fines

BRENTWOOD: Cal-OSHA cites Liberty Union High School District for

asbestos and mold violations

By a King

CONTRA COSTA TIME

CA.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/14465805.htm?

source=rss & channel=cctimes_news

Cal-OSHA has fined the Liberty Union High School District $14,690

and issued 13 citations for asbestos and mold exposure at Liberty

High School.

The presence of asbestos and mold was first revealed earlier this

year when English teacher and her students were moved

out of the S-wing on the aging Brentwood campus. , who had

become sick, had two mold samples tested from the area and the

results came back positive for a toxic form of mold.

Air and material testing later issued by the district determined

that portions of the campus were safe for students and staff.

also filed the initial complaint with Cal-OSHA in January,

prompting an investigation.

" I'm torn because it has been painful to go public with our problems

as a school, " said. " It has cost me some respect from teachers

at our school. "

Cal-OSHA safety inspectors visited the campus several times after

filed the complaint. Five of the citations are considered

serious violations, and the rest are general violations.

" Most of these citations are classified as serious, which indicates

that they are a violation that can lead to serious physical harm to

an employee, but they are low-level penalties on the serious side, "

Cal-OSHA spokesman Dean Fryer said.

The serious violations were $2,000 each, and the general violations

ranged from $225 to $845. Liberty superintendent Dan said the

district has already paid for the citations, but since it is a

public agency, the funds will be returned once Cal-OSHA approves the

district's fixes.

The district's maintenance and operations staff began abatement and

corrections immediately after the investigation, Dan said. He

added that a district response was sent to Cal-OSHA explaining how

they addressed each citation.

The serious violations ranged from failing to provide competent

supervision of asbestos removal to not monitoring airborne asbestos.

The district was also cited for not providing adequate respirators

to employees who removed asbestos and allowing them to work in an

area where asbestos work was not regulated.

" All along the district has been extremely concerned about making

sure all of the facilities are safe, " Dan said. " I have all

the confidence in the world that district staff responds quickly and

appropriately and it certainly has taken place this time. "

Liberty science teacher Holmes said, however, that faculty

and staff were bothered by how the district handled the situation.

" I think if the district had been more proactive in disseminating

information and more proactive all along, people wouldn't have been

as upset. That was the biggest problem, " she said.

The district hired RGA Environmental to conduct air and material

testing in the S-wing, L-building and Nash Hall after

came forward with her concerns. RGA determined that the levels of

mold and asbestos posed no danger to students and staff.

has said that she and other teachers knew the RGA

testing results would be normal because the company performed tests

in conditions different from those the students and teachers were

exposed to, since the maintenance staff had attempted to clean-up

the area.

The district has since re-activated its safety committee and

administrators have discussed drafting a more specific safety plan.

would like to see the school community adopt an

environmental assessment plan that includes both federal and state

health codes like the one used by the Fremont Unified School

District.

She said the environmental plan should be based on the Tools for

Schools model established by the Environmental Protection Agency and

other environmental agencies. She has also been encouraging staff

and faculty to utilize the complaint form, an anonymous

system of reporting site and facility issues.

" It will all be worth it if these things happen, " said.

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a King covers education in far East County. Reach her at 925-779-

7189 or pking@....