Itching Powder Causes Scare at School

By: news-press.com
Apr. 8, 2011

The Fort Myers Fire Department is at Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School responding to a possible hazmat situation.

Firetrucks and ambulances are on scene and the school is currently on lockdown. The nature of the incident is unknown at this time.

UPDATE:
The school is no longer on lockdown.

Lee County EMS Chief of Operations Scott Tuttle said a student brought itching powder into the school. Twelve students and 11 cafeteria workers were affected by the powder.

Food Tainted with Chemical Sickens Employees

By: Katherine Perry
95.9 WATD, Marshfield Broadcasting Company

Two Bridgewater State University employees were taken to the hospital after they were sickened by an unknown chemical Thursday.

At 11:41 a.m. the Bridgewater fire department was called to Bridgewater State University and began a tier 1 haz-mat response-- the least serious response level.

Two food service employees were working near a dishwasher and food disposal area in a kitchen in the east campus commons, when they became ill.

School Kitchens Flunk Health Inspections

By: Helena Bottemiller

FoodSafetyNews.com

Oct 14, 2010

More than half of the school kitchens in the Philadelphia School District failed the last round of health inspections, according to state records analyzed by Philadelphia Daily News.

The worst offenders appeared to be charter schools, which were 66 percent out of compliance, compared with the 53 percent failure rate across the district.  According to The Daily News, some schools on the list had as 20 significant violations, ranging from "mouse feces found on cooking utensils to food being stored next to chemicals."

School Lockdown After Mercury Exposure

By: Maureen Magee and Hailey Persinger

Published: October 8, 2010

San Diego — Toler and Bay Park elementary schools were taken off lock down status at around 4:30 p.m.

UPDATE 4 p.m. - Mission Bay High School has been taken off lock down status and all students were sent home at about 3:25 p.m., said the San Diego Fire Department. Lock downs for Bay Park and Toler elementary schools are still in effect.

UPDATE 2:40 p.m. - About 140 students have been isolated and are being screened for mercury contamination at Mission Bay High School after officials found that they'd entered classrooms with dangerous levels of the substance.

University Student Hurt in Explosion

Waltham, MA
Wicked Local Waltham

WALTHAM — A Brandeis University graduate student sustained first- and second-degree burns and lacerations to his face in a chemical explosion at the school’s science building Thursday morning, said Fire Chief Richard Cardillo.

The student, a male who has not yet been identified, was rushed to Mass. General Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries following the explosion at 10:49 a.m., Cardillo said.

He was released at 5 p.m., said Brandeis spokesman Andrew Gully.

The student is a candidate for a Ph.D. in chemistry, said Gully, who declined to name him due to privacy issues.

“He was doing work for his graduate degree, and something obviously went wrong, because the chemicals he was using don’t normally cause

Mequon School Closes For Mold

Mequon School Latest to Close Due to Mold

Posted Tuesday September 7, 2010 

MEQUON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Another Wisconsin school has been hit with mold.

The Oriole Lane Elementary School in Mequon is closed Tuesday, after officials found mold in the building.

An air quality expert tells WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee that at least 30 Wisconsin schools have had some kind of mold problem – and he blames it on the hot and damp summer. He says it takes a thorough cleaning to get rid of it.

At the Stone Bank school near Oconomowoc, crews worked around the clock for 4 days to remove the mold they had. Schools in Middleton and Crivitz were also among those losing class time early in this school year.

Mequon school officials could not say how long Oriole Lane would be closed due to the latest mold discovery. 

For original posting visit:  www.whbl.com/news/articles/201

Toxic chemicals force Newark students to be bused to Harrison, costing >$300,000

Published: Thursday, April 29, 2010, 8:55 PM     Updated: Friday, April 30, 2010, 5:24 AM

Victoria St. Martin/The Star-Ledger 

NEWARK -- Every day, more than 800 children at the Wilson Avenue School in Newark arrive at their Ironbound building, then get on a bus to go two miles to another facility in Harrison where they attend classes.

At the end of the day, they do the reverse commute.

That ride, necessitated by flooding and the discovery of benzene at Wilson Avenue School, is costing the Newark School District about $1,600 a day, a spokeswoman said. By the end of the school year, the total tab will be $96,000.

No Worries about Chemicals on Rubber Athletic Fields - CT DEP

CT Department of Environmental Protection: July 30, 2010

Result of State Artificial Turf Fields Study: No Elevated Health Risk

But higher contaminant levels at an indoor field suggest ventilation needs

HARTFORD – A new study of artificial turf fields containing crumb rubber infill conducted by four state agencies shows that health risks are not elevated from playing on the fields. However, higher contaminant levels at one indoor field indicate that ventilation of indoor fields should be considered. Storm water run off findings indicate that proper management of this run off is prudent to address possible environmental effects.

The study findings were peer reviewed by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering, whose comments were incorporated into the final report.

"This study presents good news regarding the safety of outdoor artificial turf fields," stated Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. J. Robert Galvin. "While the findings indoors were below the health risk targets, the elevated contaminant levels suggest a need to ventilate these fields so they can be brought to the level of safety outdoors. What we’ve learned from this study in Connecticut will provide valuable guidance to municipalities, schools and others who operate or are considering installing artificial playing fields."

Study Background

The four state agencies, the University of Connecticut Health Center, the Connecticut Agricultural