Radon experts meet with Blue Ridge staff and parents to discuss air quality test results

Radon experts meet with Blue Ridge staff and parents to discuss air quality test results
This week radon experts met with Blue Ridge Elementary parents and staff to review recent air quality test results from a study Fulcrum Environmental Consulting completed at the school in which radon concentrations were identified above the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) benchmarks.

The meetings were part of the district's proactive approach to communicating the results and what they mean to staff and students. It was also an opportunity to explain the district's short-term and long-term plans to mitigate the levels in an effort to meet EPA guidelines.

Ryan Matthews of Fulcrum Environmental Consulting and Michael Brennan, a radiation Health Physicist with the Washington State Department of Health Offices, led a parent meeting at Blue Ridge Elementary Thursday afternoon to provide information about the test results.

Both Matthews and Brennan said the school is safe to continue use and applauded the school district for its open and proactive approach to addressing these concerns.

When asked if he would send his own children to the school, Brennan immediately said "yes."

Both Matthews and Brennan reported the district is taking the correct approach to reducing levels of radon, but said the levels generated in the report are no where close to the levels needed to recommend an evacuation of the school. They reported the test results indicated elevated levels primarily occurred during evening and weekends when the school's Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning system (HVAC) was not operational.

The school's HVAC is now operating 20 hours a day, seven days a week to maintain constant air flow, per a recommendation from Fulcrum as a short-term solution. According to Fulcrum's assessment data, radon levels at Blue Ridge are reduced while the HVAC system is operational.

 The district is also following the recommendation of Fulcrum Environmental Consulting to work with an industry professional to develop a long-term radon mitigation solution. The district has already started this work. A representative from Advanced Radon Technologies of Spokane was in the district Wednesday to study the school's building plans in an effort to design a long-term solution.

Earlier in the week, Walla Walla County Health Department Director Dr. Harvey Crowder met with staff and also said the school is safe to continue use. Crowder reported the districts action plan has effectively lowered radon levels for the short-term and is confident it has assembled the necessary team of professionals to develop a long-term solution.

He also stressed Fulcrum's report revealed elevated levels occurred after normal school hours and the data from the report indicates operating the school's HVAC system is effectively minimizing the levels of radon.

The district is currently doing additional tests at Blue Ridge. New test results will be available next week. The district is also contracting with a mechanical engineering firm to test and balance the school's HVAC system.

This work is expected to begin next week. The district is also planning to do radon testing at other district schools that have basements and will then follow the recommendations from Fulcrum regarding future steps.

"The safety of our staff and students is our number one priority," Superintendent Dr. Rich Carter said. "We will do whatever it takes to develop a permanent solution to ensure radon levels are mitigated."

Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. Lung cancer is the only health effect which has been definitively linked with long-term radon exposure according to the EPA.

Visit the Environmental Protection Agency website at: http://www.epa.gov/radon/index.html