The Saga of Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School

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Mold cleanup delays Pottsgrove school opening

By: Evan Brandt, Mercury Staff Writer August 17, 2000

LOWER POTTSGROVE - The earliest students will return to the troubled Lower

Pottsgrove Elementary School building is Sept. 11, the Pottsgrove School

Board has decided, and then only if environmental tests at the aging school

determine the building is safe.

If the tests results are unsatisfactory, the district may delay the

students' return as late as Sept. 25. The actual opening of school may be a

" rolling date, " explained Pottsgrove Assistant Superintendent ph Bender,

depending on when the test results come back clean.

If the school is still not deemed safe by Sept. 25, Lower Pottsgrove

students may find themselves taking classes at Pottsgrove Middle School,

which would be on a split schedule and which would have moved its

eighth-graders to the high school.

But School Board President Jack predicted none of the contingency

plans would be unnecessary. " The reports are going to come back clean and

green, " he said brightly, adding softly " I hope " a moment later.

But while scheduling conflicts may loom larger in parents' minds when

September creeps a little closer, the primary issue Tuesday night was the

safety of their children.

The Tuesday night vote followed a lengthy discussion of the problems at the

school - and the steps taken to resolve them - presided over by H.

Hersh, director of the bureau of epidemiology for the Pennsylvania

Department of Health.

The meeting represents the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of health

concerns at the school which first approached critical mass last January.

Since then, tests by the county health department and a private consultant

have yielded an increasingly alarming laundry list of potential

contaminants, with bacteria and molds topping the list.

Parents have formed an organization - Parents Acting for Safe Schools

(PASS) - to protect the health interests of their children and even

forwarded a copy of a consultant's report to a Wisconsin expert who offered

the opinion that certain species of mold, not the high levels of bacteria,

were the biggest danger at the school.

The consultant, W. Montz of Indoor Air Solutions, has publicly

questioned the basis of those conclusions, as has Hersh.

Remediation efforts, such as the removal of the school's highly-contaminated

carpet and " encapsulation " of frayed fiberglass lining in the school's air

ducts, have received a lukewarm endorsement from parents and private

consultants.

Whether or not those measures will eliminate the headaches, sinus infections

and upper respiratory infections which have become chronic in the school

remains unclear. A review by the county and state health departments of the

tests to be conducted after the remediation work is done will determine

whether or not school will open on Sept. 11, or if more cleaning, and thus

more delays, are in the cards.

Hersh promised the parents both that he believes the district is following

the correct course of action, and that his department would ensure that

continues.

" We're the 900-pound gorilla and frankly, if I'm not comfortable with how

this is being handled, this board will not be very happy with me, " said

Hersh.

Which is not to say, said Hersh, that the parents' concern is not

understandable.

" Every issue that impacts on our health is an emotional issue, " Hersh said

soothingly to the perturbed parents.

" And when it involves our children's health, it's an even more emotional

issue. And when you talk about a crisis ladder, it doesn't take much to race

up that ladder when you think your child's in danger, " Hersh added.

Pebble Beach Lane parent Cantamaglia, whose child is to enter

kindergarten at the building this fall, knows that feeling.

" We have to trust them, " she said of the school board. " And so far, we have

not been able to trust them. "

Part of that trust gap is the result of what parents described as a lack of

communication from the district. " When should we have been notified of

this? " one parent asked Hersh.

" My philosophy is to go public with information as quickly as it's available

to us, " said Hersh.

" Well, this has all been swept under the rug and that's where our rights

have gone, " the parent responded.

In a step designed to help the board close that trust gap, proposed

that when testing is done before the opening of school, that not just the

same sampling of 13 rooms be tested, but that all 26 classrooms and other

common areas be tested.

" I know we're never going to satisfy you, " told the parents. " So I

propose we test every room, " he said to thunderous applause.

School directors Tim Saylor and Bruce Schaeffer voted against the proposal.

said the district has already spent in excess of $400,000 on the

clean-up efforts and indicated the decision to test all the rooms, not just

the first 13 sampled, would not come cheaply.

Hersh implied that at times, concerns of this nature can be overblown. " I

worry about how consultants present themselves at public meetings, " said

Hersh. " How you phrase things may get you repeat business, " he said.

was more blunt. " People take fear and capitalize on that. I personally

don't feel all these tests are necessary, but they're necessary to appease

the public, " he said.

War of words continues over school mold

By: Evan Brandt, Mercury Staff Writer August 12, 2000

LOWER POTTSGROVE - A local scientist has fired back with a withering salvo

in the war of words being waged over the health problems at the Lower

Pottsgrove Elementary School.

In a letter made public, W. Montz, president of Pottstown-based

Indoor Air Solutions, issued a series of challenges Wednesday to Crivitz,

Wisconsin-based Croft, an environmental scientist who had offered

opinions on the cause of the school's health problems based on a study and

report conducted by Montz.

Montz particularly took issue with some conclusions Croft reached,

particularly those declaring the main cause of problems at the school to be

a species of mold called Cladosporium.

" Your comments have been widely cited by concerned parents and local media

and have generated considerable fear in the public, " Montz wrote.

Cope, who heads Parents Acting for a Safe School and who forwarded

Montz's report to Croft, said she had not seen Montz's response, and so

declined to comment.

" I am deeply concerned that you have taken information in our report and

have made many quantum leaps of data and logic which have generated this

fear. We do not believe this wild speculation regarding health impacts

cannot be supported by the data generated by our firm, " Montz wrote.

Toward proving this assertion, Montz has issued a series of challenges to

Croft regarding some of the conclusions he made after studying Montz's

report.

" You state that 'the health problems or signs and symptoms expressed by the

teaching staff are all related to mold exposure.' This is an absolute

statement which cannot be substantiated and we believe is utterly

incorrect, " Montz wrote to Croft.

" Please provide your medical evaluations clearly stating that these symptoms

are caused by mold exposure and mold exposure alone for all 31 complaints, "

wrote Montz.

He also urged Croft to " please also clearly demonstrate that the mold

exposures causing these symptoms were due to exposures in the school and the

school alone. Obviously such proof would requires studies in each of the 31

staff homes to determine that home environments are not more contaminated

than the school, " wrote Montz.

Referring to Croft's assertions about the " mycotoxins " Croft said are being

released by the Cladosporium, Montz asked that Croft " please provide the

personal exposure monitoring data reflecting toxin exposure to any

individual in the school. Without this data, you cannot make the statement

that anyone was exposed to toxins at any time. To do so is recklessly

irresponsible and generates totally unwarranted fear and hysteria, " Montz

wrote.

Montz has asserted all along, and in his report, that the most likely cause

of the nagging coughs, throat and eye irritations and perhaps even the more

serious symptoms experienced by at least one teacher, are more likely due to

the high levels of bacteria he found in the school's carpet.

That carpet has since been removed, and work is underway now to

" encapsulate " the ventilation ductwork, a move taken to counter concerns

about fraying fiberglass insulation there.

Croft has asserted that replacing the ductwork, a more costly and

time-consuming process, was the only way to protect against the mold.

Although Montz agrees with that recommendation, his report also states that

proper encapsulation is an adequate interim solution.

Sylvia Lenz, business manager for the Pottsgrove School District, said that

work is progressing and that she is confident it will be completed before

Aug. 22, the target date the administration has set to have Montz take

additional tests in the school to see if the problems have been remediated.

" We hope to have the results by Sept. 5, " Lenz said.

She said whether or not children and teachers will be allowed in the

building before that date is a decision the school board will make at its

hearing Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the high school cafeteria.

Lenz said an alternative has been prepared should the test results show the

school is unsafe. She declined to discuss the specifics of that alternative

because " the board has not reviewed it yet. "

©The Mercury 2000

'The Mold' issue keeps growing in Lower Pottsgrove

August 09, 2000

Here we are, less than three weeks from the start of another school year,

and one group of parents in our area doesn't know yet if they will be

sending their young children into a building infested with mold.

Or sending them to school at all on the first scheduled day, Aug. 29.

About 150 parents took their concerns to a meeting of the Pottsgrove School

Board this week and learned there would be yet another meeting before their

questions are answered.

And their questions are good ones, indeed:

How will they know if the building is safe for their children?

How do they gauge the seriousness of the health risks?

And if the building is deemed unsafe, what alternative can be arranged?

Where were their children be attending school this year - in a building that

makes them sick or in another site still to be determined?

Parents need answers. But even more important, they need a resolution to

this problem. We suggest that it's time for the school board to move beyond

the testing and the reporting and the discussion and close the school

temporarily until the health issues can be resolved.

We doubt that, as more information is being made available about the molds

present within the Lower Pottsgrove building, parents want to send their

children there. We doubt they will have confidence that the building is

safe, even if the latest air tests say it is within acceptable limits.

The remedy which is being done this month - an encapsulation of the ductwork

intended to arrest the mold problem - has already been challenged as

ineffective by one scientist.

And we suspect every sniffle, every headache and every cough will fuel the

issue as the school year unfolds.

The school administration and the school board have known for some time that

the indoor air pollution at Lower Pottsgrove poses a serious health hazard.

They should have acted long before this to find an alternative site to house

students while permanent and effective remediation is done.

The former Pottsgrove Intermediate School, which is vacant, could have been

an alternative, but there's not enough time to make that facility safe and

in working order before the start of the school.

Even modular classrooms would have been feasible, but now time is running

out.

We don't have a good alternative in mind for housing the Lower Pottsgrove

students, but we believe the school board better find one. And quickly.

The continuing saga of " The Mold " will haunt the Pottsgrove School District

if they open the Lower Pottsgrove building this year. There simply isn't

enough time for remediation and testing to insure parents that the building

is safe.

We urge the board to look at the issue with a fresh perspective and consider

alternatives beyond making things work at Lower Pottsgrove. And they must do

it now.

The clock is ticking toward the start of another school year, and with each

second, parents' frustrations are rising. It's time to try something new.

©The Mercury 2000

Mold problems could delay start of school

By: Sharon Stahl, Mercury Staff Writer August 08, 2000

LOWER POTTSGROVE - Frustrated parents came to Tuesday night's school board

meeting seeking answers for the deadly mold problem in Lower Pottsgrove

Elementary School.

Approximately 150 parents attended the meeting to discuss the toxic mold

found in Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School which was reported in an air

quality study by Indoor Air Solutions of Pottstown.

The school board voted unanimously to have another board meeting Aug. 15

after teachers union President Kathy Baker meets with Assistant

Superintendent Dr. ph Bender to discuss a solution she suggested.

" Even if the kids come in nine days late, let the in-service days and

parent/teacher conference days become student days, " said Baker.

Baker suggested the teachers begin school on Aug. 29, and that the students

begin nine days later, after the results of the test are returned.

With only three weeks until the scheduled opening of school, the district

doesn't have time to have the school re-tested and have the test results

back before the scheduled start date. Test results will take from five to 21

days, according to a proposal by Montz, a consultant with Indoor Air

Solutions. The board voted to accept to re-test the school once cleanup is

complete at a cost of $23,775. The earliest the testing can begin is Aug. 21

because of the cleanup which is being done.

The board discussed the possible start of school for those elementary

students on Sept. 13, but if the tests come back positive, more time will be

needed in the school to clean up, which would mean students would be further

delayed returning to school.

" A lot of parents who work plan their day around that calendar. I need to

know when school is going to start so I can tell the day care, " said parent

Janet Austin.

Other parents suggested alternatives such as doubling up at the other

schools and having half-day sessions. Dr. Bender said the plan to double up

was one of the contingency plans the board was considering if the tests

failed.

Other parents raised concerns about the children who are currently suffering

from sickness which parents believe are related to the school's air quality.

Compared to other schools, Lower Pottsgrove Elementary has a considerably

higher health room visits according to the school nurse, Sue Burke.

Lower Pottsgrove has 67 asthmatic students compared to 18 at Ringing Rock

and 33 at West Pottsgrove. Lower Pottsgrove also has 175 students with

allergies, where Ringing Rock has 91 and West Pottsgrove has 149. Burke said

she had health room visits from the elementary children for symptoms

children usually don't exhibit, such as headaches.

The school board will hold another meeting Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. to report

back to the public after Dr. Bender meets with Baker to discuss teacher

contract dates.

Scientist: Pottsgrove school has deadlier mold

By: Evan Brandt, Mercury Staff Writer August 07, 2000

LOWER POTTSGROVE - A Wisconsin scientist thinks there is a toxic mold

present in air samples at Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School that is even

more deadly than the previously identified mold Aspergillus.

In a letter passed on to school district officials, A. Croft of

Environmental Diagnostics Group wrote that the presence of a mold called

Cladosporium sp. is of even greater concern than the Aspergillus.

" The primary or most-toxic species detected in the school was Cladosporium

sp., a known fungus to generate very poisonous mycotoxins, the macrocyclic

trichothecenes, " Croft wrote in a July 24 letter.

Croft's letter was written following his review of the indoor air quality

report prepared for the school district by Indoor Air Solutions of Pottstown

and forwarded to him by the parent group, Parents Acting for Safe Schools,

known as PASS.

" The health problems or signs and symptoms expressed by the teaching staff

are all related to mold exposure. The eye irritation, headaches,

fatigue/lethargy, dry/sore/scratchy/burning throat/throat irritation and

sinus problems (congestion, sinusitis, sinus infections), are classical for

mold exposure by a very large percentage of the teaching staff, " Croft

wrote.

But scientific opinion on the subject is not uniform.

W. Montz, who conducted the study for the district, said only a

qualified physician can make that determination.

However, " from an environmental perspective, (but not a medical diagnosis),

the types of symptoms noted are consistent with exposures to bacteria, fungi

and allergens. Of these, elevated bacteria levels were, in my opinion, the

most significant exposures in the building, " he said in a written response

to written questions from The Mercury.

Pointing to results which showed higher concentrations of bacteria than

mold, Montz wrote, " if there were environmental triggers to the symptoms

experienced by the occupants in the school, the data suggests that bacterial

exposure is the most significant exposure, followed by fungal and

miscellaneous allergen exposure. "

In fact, Montz wrote that IAS " believe that Cladosporium is not a

significant issue in this case. " Of more concern, he wrote, is the presence

of Aspergillus as " most experts are more concerned about exposure to

Aspergillus sp. than those of Cladosporium. "

Schools Superintendent Sharon Nalbone was unavailable for comment

Monday.

But Business Manager Sylvia Lenz, who has been deeply involved with the

efforts to remediate the problems at the building - built in 1939 and last

renovated in 1979 -confirmed that the administration received copies of

Croft's letter and that copies had been given to members of the school

board.

Croft's letter also advised against the method the school district has

chosen to try and deal with one of the potential problems in the school. The

board rejected a bid of more than $211,000 to replace the air ductwork in

the building; a suggestion which had been made because of concerns about

potential fiberglass fibers getting into the air.

Instead, it voted to " encapsulate " the ductwork, a move which only costs

about $10,000 and on which work has already begun, said Lenz.

However, Croft's letter, which does not address the fiberglass issue, notes

" I believe that the ventilating ducts have insulation within and is

contaminated with mold spores. This duct work must be replaced! There is no

way to seal mold spores in contaminated insulation or wet insulation, " he

wrote.

" The mold spores when in wet conditions can grow through the encapsulation

material, or re-grow on the surface with plenty of water and food to grow on

and the whole process will not have changed the mold mycotoxin dangers or

risk, " the letter reads.

The two scientists do agree on this point, however. Montz's written response

noted that " We informed the school district that replacement of the ductwork

was the most highly-recommended option. "

However, Lenz said Croft's letter has not caused the district " to look at

the situation any differently. "

" I assume the board will let us know if they want us to do anything

differently, " said Lenz.

Montz noted that options other than replacing the ductwork were explored as

well and noted, " If applied at recommended thickness and uniformly

throughout the ductwork (and verified by inspection and testing), and the

application contractor provides a warranty for the product, Indoor Air

Solutions will accept encapsulation as a short-term solution until ductwork

can be replaced with metal ductwork with fiberglass on the exterior. "

At its meeting tonight, held at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria of Pottsgrove

High School, the school board " must decide on testing " which is to occur

later in the month, after the encapsulation is finished.

As the Aug. 29 opening of school approaches, the question of whether the

school is safe is intensifying for staff and parents.

An unusually high number of health complaints from staff and students

prompted the district to invite the Montgomery County Health Department in

to do some preliminary air testing in December, 1999.

In April, the results showed that some levels of contaminants were " on the

high side, " so the board voted in May to hire Indoor Air Solutions for

$38,000 to conduct an intensive study.

It was the results of that study which have fueled further concern about the

health of the building and which formed the basis of Croft's letter.

Pottsgrove officials open dialogue, but many issues remain

July 24, 2000

Some good news and bad news in the saga of environmental conditions at the

Lower Pottsgrove Elementary School. The good news is that school officials

have promised to share information with parents who are raising questions

about the school building.

The bad news is that many questions still remain unanswered, and we have

some serious concerns about children's health as the start of school

approaches.

After a protest last week by about 50 people led by the parents' group,

Parents Acting for Safe Schools (PASS), Pottsgrove School District

Superintendent Sharon Nalbone met with the group. She promised to

share more information with the parents on test results and conditions at

the school.

One of the concerns of PASS members was that the district was covering up

information contained in an air quality report conducted by Montz of

Indoor Air Systems and made public at a July 11 school board meeting.

Members of PASS alleged " that Dr. Montz has not told the truth when asked

about specific toxic molds in the building. "

" We know from the report that aspergillus was found in many carpet wipes,

and therefore, aspergillus is throughout the entire building, " said

Cope, speaking on behalf of the parents.

Test results listed in Montz's report showed no less than 16 hits were

recorded for various forms of the aspergillus mold in the school building,

including in the nurse's office.

" Dr. Montz himself states that aspergillus does not belong anywhere indoors.

The numbers of mold is not the issue here, but rather the mold itself, " Cope

said.

She said Montz's report has been mailed to " an independent mold expert "

because she suspected " the board is probably not really aware of the

toxicity of aspergillus. "

did not dispute the concerns of the group, noting that she too

had " some questions for Dr. Montz. "

We are glad to see district officials questioning the report findings

instead of trying to cover up the most damaging information. But we need to

see those officials confronting the information contained in that report

head-on.

So far, the school board has authorized removing the carpet which contained

much of the offending mold and microbial contaminants. It voted to spend

extra money to replace the flooring with more expensive tile designed to

last longer than a cheaper substance.

However, the board balked at spending more than $211,000 to replace the

ductwork in the building, which is made from fiberglass, now found to be

fraying.

Instead, the board voted to spend more like $10,000 to " encapsulate " the

duct work.

That move has been criticized by some members of PASS.

One of the greatest concerns, however, is the presence of aspergillus, a

species of fungi which can produce toxic agents especially harmful in indoor

environments. According to PASS, aspergillus was found in the school but not

reported by Montz at the recent school board meeting.

The fungus aggravates allergies and causes other problems and is extremely

difficult to get rid of once it's present in a building. That fact has

members of PASS up in arms about whether the school district is doing enough

at Lower Pottsgrove.

We're not scientists and can't determine independently how much remediation

is needed in that building. But in its responsibility for the health of its

students, the school board must treat the problem as a serious one and hire

scientists who can make those determinations.

The reports that are written by consultants must be scrutinized carefully

and not doctored up to make bad news seem less menacing.

Parents who are sending children to this school in just a few short weeks

are entitled to know what's in the air - and the floors and the walls and

the ductwork.

Getting accurate test results and addressing the problems in that school

building must be a top priority for the school board and district

administration. Sweeping any bad news under the rug will only increase the

risk to students, and that's a scenario that will make us all sick.

Hundreds discover what's in school's air

By: Margaret Fitzcharles, Mercury Staff Writer July 12, 2000

LOWER POTTSGROVE - Air quality problems at Lower Pottsgrove Elementary

School are due mostly to simple housekeeping issues, an expert in the field

told a few hundred people at a Tuesday board of school directors meeting.

However, other problems such as fiberglass particles found in surface dust

indicate the district also needs to do something about ductwork lined with

the material that can break down and send particles of the irritant into the

air, parents and school board members learned.

Dr. W. Montz Jr., president of Indoor Air Solutions Inc. of Pottstown

and holder of a doctorate in environmental toxicology, presented the

findings of extensive air quality testing done in June at the North

Pleasantview Road elementary school.

The inspection was done on the recommendation of the Montgomery County

Health Department and in response to reports of a high number of illnesses

among children and staff, and concerns expressed by a group called PASS,

which stands for Parents Acting for Safe Schools.

Montz said one study finding was a higher incidence of asthma and headaches

at Lower Pottsgrove Elementary than at two other district elementary

schools.

Initial conclusions also indicated incidents of allergies may also be higher

at Lower Pottsgrove, but Montz said that conclusion has yet to be finalized

because reports of allergies like drug allergies have to be eliminated from

the equation.

Calling the Lower Pottsgrove Elementary air quality investigation " one of

the most extensive studies of a building I've ever been involved in, " Montz

said his firm took measurements that showed carpet in the building

contaminated by very high levels of bacteria capable of spreading illness.

The school district has already removed the 20-plus year-old carpeting and

will replace it with tile.

Montz said no airborne fiberglass or asbestos was detected. No chemical

residues were detected in air samples either. Dust samples contained a large

percentages of skin flakes, cellulose fibers and mineral crystals (dirt) and

some fiberglass. Classroom refrigerators were also found to be dirty enough

to contaminate foods, Montz said. Those results suggested the district needs

to do a better job of housekeeping, he said.

The school's heating and air ventilation units were pinpointed as a source

of potential problems because they were either dirty or were lined with

deteriorting fiberglass, which Montz said could account for the material

found in the dust.

Water stains on ceiling tiles as well as mold found in certain areas

indicated that moisture problems had been or are still present. Montz said

water problems need to be repaired because moisture promotes the growth of

illness-producing bacteria and irritating molds and fungi.

A lack of proper air circulation both in classrooms and lavatories

discovered during the inspection also was cited as a potential for the

spread of illness, according to Montz.

IAQ made several " high priority " recommendations for the district to improve

conditions at the school.

Among those recommendations were:

*hire an engineering firm to determine what needs to be done to improve

ventilation, check for and remediate any active roof or other leaks.

*repair or remove deteriorated sections of splined ceilings found in several

classrooms and repair and or replace deteriorated fiberglass insulation also

detected in several classrooms.

*Replace fiberglass ductboard serving ceiling mounted ventilation systems

and clean and sanitize all air handling systems and install new high

efficiency air filters.

*Remove moldy areas and correct airflow deficiencies in lavatories.

*Check to see that removing the old carpet eliminated the high levels of

bacteria found in the school.

Montz's final report to the school district, at more than 100 pages, was

summarized with his conclusions and recommendations, full copies of which

can be obtained from the school district.

©The Mercury 2000