No new testing Group wants new look at air quality

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Local News

Wednesday, April 26, 2006; Posted: 11:15 a.m. EDT

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Kings superintendent: No new testing

Group wants new look at air quality

BY ERIC BRADLEY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER

DEERFIELD TWP. -- Parents gathered last week to discuss the ailments

of their children and their concerns over the environmental

conditions at Kings junior and senior high school.

Donna has a son who attends the high school. He was put on

three days of bedrest for a sinus infection, she said.

Bogan said she's home schooling her daughter until she feels

the building is safe.

" Our kids have been exposed for years, " said parent Robin

. " At some point, someone needs to be held accountable. "

, Bogan, and others are part of the new Kings

Environmental Task Force, a group of parents and community members

concerned about conditions at the schools.

The Task Force is calling for a second opinion to findings by the

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which found

the district was acting appropriately in replacing the heating and

cooling system at the schools.

Officials from the institute conducted an informational public

hearing last week along with representatives of the Ohio Department

of Health and the Warren County Health Department.

The parents group says the testing is insufficient because the

institute is a group concerned with occupational safety.

Thus, the parents said, it can't adequately address student health

concerns.

The group asked the district to hire Florida-based Pure Air Controls

Inc. to provide neutral, third-party testing at a cost of $25,000.

The district, however, will not comply with the group's request,

according to Chuck Mason, superintendent.

" NIOSH basically told us and the health department of the county and

the state said that no other testing is necessary, " said Mason.

" We've already done all the testing that's necessary and any further

testing would be a waste of money. "

Mason said work on the $1.5 million replacement heating, ventilating

and air conditioning system (HVAC) will begin when classes end on

May 26.

The district, which authorized the expenditure in March, will

replace 42 ventilators in the high school to relieve high levels of

humidity.

The new units replace 17-year-old equipment that have been cited as

the chief cause for mold, humidity and carbon dioxide problems

dating to 2001.

Parents who met last week were appreciative of the strides made, but

said more work needs to be done -- and they want to be involved.

" We want to make sure from the get-go that this is done properly, "

said Barbara Wilders, a former school board member and member of the

group.

Members of the group said if the district refused to pay for the

testing, they would raise the money themselves.

ebradley@...

248-7577

[Guest guest]

Can anyone explain what this means from article below:

" ... .The district, which authorized the expenditure in March, will

replace 42 ventilators in the high school to relieve high levels of

humidity. The new units replace 17-year-old equipment that have

been cited as the chief cause for mold, humidity and carbon dioxide

problems dating to 2001. "

I wonder what ventilators are? Are these mechanical devices that

pull air out of building like fans, or likely non-mechanical things

like 'turtle vents', or some kind of dehumidifier that vents to the

outside, like heat recovery ventilators? If it is likely heat

recovery ventilators, I wonder what went wrong with them, as I

thought they were pretty good at protecting buildings from humidity

and adding fresh air? Anyone have any idea? I wonder if I could

put them in my house.

--- In , " tigerpaw2c " <tigerpaw2c@...>

wrote:

>

> Cincinnati.Com › communitypress.com ›

> Local News

> Wednesday, April 26, 2006; Posted: 11:15 a.m. EDT

> BY ERIC BRADLEY | COMMUNITY PRESS STAFF WRITER

>>

> DEERFIELD TWP. -- Parents gathered last week to discuss the

ailments ..>

The district, which authorized the expenditure in March, will

> replace 42 ventilators in the high school to relieve high levels

of

> humidity.

>

> The new units replace 17-year-old equipment that have been cited

as

> the chief cause for mold, humidity and carbon dioxide problems

> dating to 2001.