|
This document is also available as a PDF. THE SACRAMENTO BEE
TOXIC PORTABLES? STATE NEEDS TO
ADDRESS SCHOOL AIR QUALITY
CONCERNS
WEDNESDAY, June 16, 1999
Section: EDITORIALS
Edition: METRO FINAL
Page: B8
Illustration: 1 DRAWING Caption: Scott + Newsart An environmental group has dubbed California's burgeoning number of
portable school classrooms ''glue boxes,'' and while the label surely is designed
to stir worries about students being forced to sniff noxious fumes in school, it
is difficult to dismiss as mere hype. A state-commissioned panel of scientists,
school officials and environmental health specialists has raised similar concerns
-- albeit in slightly less alarmist language -- that have been left unaddressed in
the 10 months since it issued its troubling findings. The ''glue box'' report, issued by the Environmental Working Group, contends
that volatile organic compounds used in construction materials of portable
classrooms -- formaldehyde, benzene and toluene -- are being breathed by
children and their teachers in poorly ventilated portables statewide. The state's
report suggests that the haste with which many of the newest portables were
purchased and installed did not allow enough time to ''off-gas'' (or release into
the air) some of those hazardous chemicals. Instead, that's often taking place
while students and teachers are inside the classrooms, frequently with the
windows closed. 1 of 2 7/25/99 10:24 PM NewsLibrary Document Delivery http://newslibrary.krmediastream.com/cgi...cument/nl1_auth?DBLIST=sb99&DOCNUM=19711 The number of portables has grown dramatically since 1997, when California
reduced class sizes in the primary grades and created a huge new demand for
classroom space. Today, more than 2 million students spend some part of their
school day inside an estimated 85,000 portable classrooms. The state's report looks beyond portables to include concerns about the
potential ill health effects of mold, decay and poor ventilation in thousands of
neglected permanent classrooms. The report makes a strong case for a
statewide effort to train school staffs about how to properly maintain and
ventilate facilities -- portable and permanent -- to minimize student and
teacher exposure to chemicals. It also calls for a study of the kinds of
materials being used in classroom construction. While the Davis administration has yet to take action, Assemblyman Kevin
Shelley has introduced a bill, AB 1207, that would mandate the training
recommended by the state's report. The bill would also direct school districts
to use the least toxic pest control methods available and limit their use of
carcinogenic pesticides on school grounds. The Assembly has approved the
bill, and the Senate and governor would do well to follow suit. All content © 1999 THE SACRAMENTO BEE and may not be republished without
permission. All archives are stored on a SAVE (tm) newspaper library system from MediaStream Inc., a
Knight-Ridder Inc. company. 2 of 2 7/25/99 10:24 PM |
| Search |
| Mirrors |