by David Flint
Classes scheduled to resume at Berlin Elementary School on Monday were delayed by one day, not because of lead paint problems but because of a burst water pipe. According to Interim Superintendent Brian Howard, Holiday Recess began on December 24 and so did work on stabilizing the lead paint at the elementary school. Howard said the work proceeded well and was concluded on December 31.
On Monday morning a two hour delay had already been announced previously to enable teachers to put their classrooms in order following the stabilization work. But when a leak was discovered in a water pipe in a bathroom on the second floor, busses, which had already started picking up students, were sent back and the school was closed for the day. Howard said it turned out to be a relatively minor repair that was completed by 11 am. With hindsight he said he would have kept the school open and avoided a situation that caused some parents consternation. Howard expressed chagrin that the operation of returning students to their homes did not go completely according to protocol and the phone calling system missed some parents. He pledged to address this problem with the staff. Classes resumed at the regular time on Tuesday.
Regarding the work done during the break, Howard said that a team from Jupiter Environmental Service and Professional Service Industries, Inc. had scraped and removed all loose paint from the pillars at the main entrance, the north portico and classroom windows. This was followed by a thorough washing process and a testing procedure. All chips and debris were collected and removed. Inside the building windows were scraped, cleaned and painted and coated with a thick encapsulant. The cost of the project was about $280,000.
Howard pointed out that the stabilization work does not represent a long term solution. If the District decides that Berlin Elementary School will continue to be part of the configuration of the District, then the pillars and other lead paint areas must either be encapsulated in some form or removed and replaced. The next step for the District, Howard said, is to work out a long term solution.
Howard also noted that a full report had been received from the New York State Department of Labor, Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau (PESH) regarding their industrial hygiene investigation at the school in November. The investigation was instigated by an employee complaint about alleged potential exposure to lead, asbestos, mold and mildew, poor indoor air quality and poor ventilation. A copy of the report has been posted on the District’s website at berlincentral.org.
The report indicated that there was no lead, asbestos or dust detected in the air samples and all of the other tests including lead wipes and gas detection showed either no results or insignificant results. PESH concluded that “a health hazard related to lead, airborne dust, asbestos and/or chemical contaminants was not found to exist at the time of the investigation. No employee was exposed, at the time of the investigation, to airborne contaminants” in excess of the PESH limits for air contaminants and dust, lead or asbestos.
Air sampling for mold or mildew was not conducted as PESH has no specific standards for these substances, but the report noted that “no significant mold growth was observed in the school during the walk around inspection.”
Howard said he had not polled all the staff, but based on conversations with some he believes the report has reassured faculty and staff and made them feel a bit more comfortable in their work place. “The District will continue to work towards improving the comfort level and air circulation at BES, to the extent feasible, for the benefit of staff and students,” Howard said.
