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Parent raises indoor‑air and chemical-use concerns; asks board for independent industrial-hygienist review
Summary
A parent who submitted a written letter alleged use of an HVAC product not approved for duct liners and pressed the board for an independent industrial-hygienist inspection and verification of remediation; administration said remediation work had been completed and provided a third‑party report to the board.
A public commenter called on the board to retain an independent certified industrial hygienist to review indoor-air and HVAC remediation work after raising concerns in a written letter about several elementary schools.
Rebecca Lara told the board she had submitted a letter on May 11 documenting environmental health and safety conditions. She drew the board’s attention to a vendor safety-data-sheet for a product named New Calgon Pan Spray Black and said the product label and manufacturer guidance list suspected carcinogenic and reproductive-harm warnings and do not list duct liners as an approved application. "The product's own label states it is suspected of causing cancer, may damage fertility or the unborn child, and causes damage to organs through prolonged and repeated exposure," she said, and added that other formulations designed specifically for ducts exist.
Lara said the district’s own written Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) program requires that the director of facilities verify a product is appropriate for its intended use before application. She told the board the district’s facilities mechanic who documented the issue was asked to resign after raising concerns, that the district commissioned a safety-data-sheet review after the resignation and that the review appears to have been produced after a remediation conclusion was already reached. Lara urged the board to obtain an independent inspection retained by the board itself, not by administration, to verify whether the products used and the remediation work are adequate and whether any residual hazards remain.
Administration acknowledged that maintenance staff have been working to remediate issues documented in the letter and said remediation steps were completed and a third-party report (Environmental Connection Inc.) had been provided to the board. The board did not vote on a motion to retain an independent industrial hygienist during the meeting; members asked for follow-up and the commenter requested a commitment.
The district’s written IAQ program and the contractor SDSs were referenced in public remarks; the board and administration agreed to circulate copies of materials and to continue the discussion.
