[StBernard] St. Bernard School Okayed For Opening After Environmental Tests

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard School Okayed For Opening After Environmental Tests

November 11, 2005

By: Steve Cannizaro


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Air and soil sample tests at the site of a public school which opens Monday
in Chalmette showed no dangerous levels of chemicals, federal and state
health and environmental officials told members of the St. Bernard Parish
Council and school administrators on Thursday.

However, state Health Department officials wouldn't allow the cooking of
meals in a kitchen there because the parish water supply hasn't been tested.

Superintendent of Schools Doris Voitier said, "We're ready to put children
at the site,'' which is in the second-floor of Chalmette High School as well
as in trailer classrooms in the parking lot of the school's football
stadium.

"It looks like we got a clean bill of health,'' Parish Council Chairman
Joseph DiFatta Jr. said after the meeting with representatives of the state
Health Department and two federal agencies, the Environmental Protection
Agency and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an arm of the
Center for Disease Control.

Five recent air samples taken inside Chalmette High's second-floor showed
either no detectable chemicals or barely detectable traces, officials said. 
Soil ad air samples outside the school were also fine, they said.

But state health officials nixed plans to use a kitchen at the school
because the water supply hasn't been tested. Voitier said she wasn't sure
what arrangements will be made to feed students.

Chalmette High is on the edge of a large oil spill that took place at the
Murphy Oil USA refinery in Meraux during Hurricane Katrina.

Officials said there hasn't been a sign of oil at the school or on campus. 
But it became a concern this week when federal environmental and health
officials said results of sediment samples affected by the oil spill
exceeded screening levels for residential soil of polynuclear aromatic
hydrocarbons, diesel and oil range organic chemicals and arsenic.

EPA continues to issue the agency's previous warnings that, in the
short-term, residents returning to the area should avoid direct contact with
the crude oil-contaminated sediments. Te compounds can pose a skin
irritation problem if they get onto bare or broke skin, federal officials
said.

More testing was done at Chalmette High this week and the results were
examined by federal officials ad released Thursday. Testing done by Murphy
also showed the area to be safe.

"We requested additional air and soil monitorig of Chalmette High,'' DiFatta
said. "The initial testing proved the site to be clean and safe for children
to be there but we will do additional testing to make sure it continues to
be safe. The Council will do everything in our power to maintain the highest
level of safety for our citizens, especially the children.''

Voitier also said, "We intend to request ongoing sample monitoring.''

About 450 students are expected for the first day of class on Monday at what
is being called the St. Bernard Unified School, which will have classes for
pre-kindergarten through high school.
Nearly 750 students have not registered but the parents of many of them said
they will attend The school as travel trailers become available for
residents to live again in St. Bernard Parish or in January for the second
semester.

Voitier also has said she plans for the temporary trailer classrooms to be
moved into the high school building in January.