The latest air quality and environmental tests at the Lester Vaughan School have revealed that the air quality and environmental health of the campus are not at risk.

But parents, who are set to virtually meet with the school management on Thursday evening, are questioning the study’s validity. They told Barbados TODAY that environmental issues at the Cane Garden, St Thomas school persisted despite the testing company having conducted previous tests years ago. They claimed that for the past 16 jaar, staff and students of the school have been falling ill while on campus complaining of respiratory problems, headaches and nausea.

Since January, at the start of the school term, classes have been disrupted constantly due to teachers reporting ill.

On February 28, the Ministry of Education decided that classes would be held online to facilitate another environmental test after a previous one linked a persistent stench on the campus to a defective sewage system following several environmental tests on the campus.

Samples of the latest tests were sent overseas and in a statement on Wednesday, the ministry said they only received the results the day before.

Barbados TODAY obtained the ten-page document dated March 20, prepared by industrial hygienist and environmentalist Ian Weekes, who is also the director of the company Environmental Comfort & Safety Solutions Ltd. In that report, Weekes said that the volatile organic compounds (gases from certain solids or liquids) found at the school and surrounding areas posed no threat to human health.

The air venting tests were initiated for sewer gases as identified by the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s hazardous air pollutants guidelines.

“The results of the TVOCs (total volatile organic compounds) analysis for all the test locations ranged from <200 to 460 µg>

Based on the document, multiple areas of concern were tested:

Manhole 1: pavilion, staff female bathroom include tests collected at all covers of wells, septics, manholes and drains located near the pavilion and toilet bowls and drains;

Manhole 2: behind Block E, include tests collected at all covers of wells, septics, manholes and drains;

Manhole 3: behind school hall, include tests collected at all covers of wells, septics, manholes and drains;

Manhole 4: in front Block F, include tests collected at all covers of wells, septics, manholes and drains;

Manhole 5: in front Block E, include tests collected at all covers of wells, septics, manholes and drains

Manhole 6: between Blocks C and D, and B and C, include tests collected at all covers of wells, septics, manholes, drains, and grease traps;

The Cave: in the cave and at the mouth of the cave.

In all areas tested, the environmental expert concluded that “there was no venting of any of the sewer gases”. Maar, Weekes said, the results should only act as a baseline for the sealing and functioning of the wells, septic tanks, manholes, drainage systems and grease traps.

“When the school is fully occupied and these systems are fully utilised and children and other occupants of the school are constantly trotting over the covers of these drainage and septic systems the seals will be compromised and there will be venting of odours,” the report continued.

“Therefore, it is important to conduct daily and/or weekly checks of the integrity of the seals around the covers of the wells, septic tanks and manhole walls and covers for fractures and immediately to fix and reseal these structures. Heavy grease is recommended as a secure sealant and not silicone sealants which may be waterproof but not sewer gas leakproof.”

But parents said that they were unsure if they could trust the findings of the report.

One parent told Barbados TODAY: “The same person who did the first reports of the school years ago, that found nothing was wrong with the school, is the same person who did this test. Why was someone new not engaged? Clearly something is wrong because teachers and children are still falling ill. I think we need someone not connected to management to conduct the test, an independent agency.”

Another parent said: “This leaves us with more questions than answers. We find it miraculous that the results came out the same day a news article highlighting the parent’s concerns came out.”

When contacted, the president of the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) Rudy Lovell declined to comment on the findings of the report.

He said while the union had met with ministry officials, management of the school and other stakeholders late Tuesday night and on Wednesday, it was yet to meet privately with its membership. Lovell said after that meeting, the BUT will speak on the matter.

“What I can say is that the test results came back conveniently the day before St Thomas Speaks,” he said, referring to the town hall meeting at Sharon Moravian Church on Wednesday night, the latest in the Parish Speaks series.

sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bbshershe

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