Minutes of Clean Air Coalition Meetings:
Corona Clean Air Coalition
Background of Coalition
· Started by parents and teachers in order to work together to ensure a safe, healthy education environment
· Leadership Team consists of representatives from all stakeholder groups (former, future, current students and parents, former and current staff, community members)
· Committee structure to engage members to utilize their professional skills to achieve our goal
· 175 members
Purpose
A safe and healthy education environment for Corona’s Staff and Students
External Research
We’ve spoken with individuals all over the country who have dealt with or are dealing with similar issues. Hundreds of hours of research have been spent reviewing environmental standards and assessments, as well as numerous consultations with national experts including Sue Brinchman of www.Schoolmoldhelp.org , Dr. Richard Lipsey, www.richardlipsey.com, and Renee Blanchard from the Center for Health and Environmental Justice, www.chej.org among others.
Internal Research
· Attended meetings: Arizona Education Association/Tempe Schools Education Association Meeting, Staff Update Meeting, PTO Meeting, Principal Susan Edwards was in attendance.
· Spoken directly with: Tish Marks(Kraemer), Lee Palmer (McCarthy), Jack Hofmann (Architect)
· Spoken with Richard Porter of the ADHS conducting the Cancer Survey
· Reviewed all available reports of assessments and remediation
· Observed and reviewed the protocol used to conduct the survey of students and staff
· Anna Chalmers, Corona parent and member of the Coalition Leadership Team was able to assess portions of building A
Conclusions
· We are convinced that there is a strong possibility that toxic mold and the mycotoxins it produces, still exist within the walls and halls of our school, unseen but potentially dangerous.
· Introducing a new HVAC system into this building without a complete “physical” to ensure it has a clean bill of health would only provide the opportunity of the potentially toxic mold to be reintroduced into the new system and we’ll be back again the same issues in a few short years.
· CO2 levels are a significant health hazard to students with chronic respiratory issues such as Asthma as described in the 2006 HEG report and that this was never reported out to parents in a formal manner thus giving them the opportunity to make appropriate decisions for their child’s health.
- Results of both surveys, one conducted by the Arizona Department of Health Services and the health survey and the other conducted by the district (created by an ASU professor) on students and staff at Corona and Marcos, are invalid as they breeched proper protocol. This is due to the fact that they were handled by the very people most likely to be affected by the results: School/District Officials.
CURRENT PRIORITIES
1. Immediate and full abatement of all work in the school buildings pending completion of a comprehensive study with the exception of A 325, A 313, A344, A-1 Hallway, and A-2 Hallway which were examined by Ms. Chalmers and repairs are currently being conducted.
2. Comprehensive testing of building for mold and other indoor air quality issues done by a third party with unrestricted off-hour access to the buildings. The Coalition is prepared to pay, or share the payment with the District.
3. Results of the comprehensive tests will be shared with both parties, the Coalition and the School, any potential remediation conducted by a mutually agreed upon expert, and a final inspection conducted by the designated expert.