Air quality to be tested at four W.Va. schools
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that outdoor air quality will be monitored at four West Virginia schools to determine if students are breathing toxic air emissions.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that outdoor air quality will be monitored at four West Virginia schools to determine if students are breathing toxic air emissions.
Air monitors should be set up within 30 days near Follansbee Middle and Jefferson Primary schools in Brooke County, Cabell County Career Technical Center near Huntington, and Neale Elementary in Vienna, Wood County.
Samples will be taken over 60 days, said John Benedict, who heads West Virginia's air quality program for the state Department of Environmental Protection. The state will conduct the monitoring and share the results with EPA, which will purchase the monitoring equipment, he said.
The four West Virginia schools are among 62 in 22 states the federal agency has targeted for monitoring. The schools were selected based on previous air sampling, information from local air quality offices, computer modeling and a newspaper report on air hazards near the nation's schools, EPA said.
The selected schools are near large industrial facilities or in urban areas. EPA is specifically looking for concentrations of gases, particulates and heavy metals that may be harmful to human health.
Benedict said both Brooke County schools are located near a plant that produces coke for steel making.
The Wood County school is affected by air emissions from a plant across the river in Ohio. The Cabell County school is close to an alloy and steel plant.
Wood County Schools Superintendent Bill Niday said if there's a problem at the elementary school then there's a problem in the community.
In Cabell County, school officials have noticed that students suffer from occasional rashes, said schools spokesman Jedd Flowers. Several schools are near the career center.
Previous air monitoring in the area revealed elevated levels of nickel, which can cause skin rashes, he said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday that outdoor air quality will be monitored at four West Virginia schools to determine if students are breathing toxic air emissions.
Air monitors should be set up within 30 days near Follansbee Middle and Jefferson Primary schools in Brooke County, Cabell County Career Technical Center near Huntington, and Neale Elementary in Vienna, Wood County.
Samples will be taken over 60 days, said John Benedict, who heads West Virginia's air quality program for the state Department of Environmental Protection. The state will conduct the monitoring and share the results with EPA, which will purchase the monitoring equipment, he said.
The four West Virginia schools are among 62 in 22 states the federal agency has targeted for monitoring. The schools were selected based on previous air sampling, information from local air quality offices, computer modeling and a newspaper report on air hazards near the nation's schools, EPA said.
The selected schools are near large industrial facilities or in urban areas. EPA is specifically looking for concentrations of gases, particulates and heavy metals that may be harmful to human health.
Benedict said both Brooke County schools are located near a plant that produces coke for steel making.
The Wood County school is affected by air emissions from a plant across the river in Ohio. The Cabell County school is close to an alloy and steel plant.
Wood County Schools Superintendent Bill Niday said if there's a problem at the elementary school then there's a problem in the community.
In Cabell County, school officials have noticed that students suffer from occasional rashes, said schools spokesman Jedd Flowers. Several schools are near the career center.
Previous air monitoring in the area revealed elevated levels of nickel, which can cause skin rashes, he said.
Post a comment