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| Air quality testing was done by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in 1999, 2003, and 2005 at Brigg's Elementary School. Three charts using the numerical statistics in the reports clearly show that the CO2 levels continue to rise above the 600 ppm guideline. | ||
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Indoor air quality reports for schools and public buildings are listed by community at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health website.
Sign up to receive via email the EPA Enviroflash for Massachusetts, providing air quality notification, in your neighborhood.
Apply at any Ashburnham-Westminster school office to rent a room, and you are required to sign an acknowledgement of asbestos in the John R. Briggs Elementary School floor tiles. (672K PDF) Attorney General Reilly Obtains $40k Judgment Against Contractors For Asbestos Violations at Ashburnham School.
According to the complaint, two Worcester-area contractors improperly removed and disposed of paint containing asbestos found in the ceiling of the auditorium of the Oakmont Regional High School in January 2003 while renovating the Oakmont Regional High School in Ashburnham, Massachusetts.• 5-20-06 Sentinel and Enterprise story about a state study ranking school buildings between 1- 4, with 1 being the best. Of the 12 schools listed in the article Briggs Elementary in Ashburnham was the only building to rank 4.
Air quality testing was done by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at Brigg's Elementary School in Ashburnham, MA, in 1999, 2003, and 2005.
Inadequate ventilation and/or elevated temperature are major causes of complaints such as respiratory, eye, nose and throat irritation lethargy and headaches. A guideline of 600 parts per million or less is preferred in schools due to the fact that the majority of occupants are young and considered to be a more sensitive population in the evaluation of environmental health status. The results showed carbon dioxide levels elevated above 800 parts per million in 28 of 29 rooms at the school.
Brigg's Elementary school is located on Williams Road, appx. 1/4 mile downgradient from the Ashburnham Dump. According to the May 2008 DEP document "Inactive or Closed Solid Waste Landfills in Massachusetts", the Ashburnham Dump, Williams Road/Center St (Rt 101) Landfill is not lined 0/5 acres, not capped. #SL0011.003 closed 1977. Landfills listed as "Unlined" have no barrier between the solid waste fill and the underlying soil. A "Lined" landfill indicates that all or some portion of the landfill is lined, while "Unlined" means that no part of the landfill is lined.
The are over 500 young children who attend this school. We are extremely concerned that CO2 levels in every classroom were higher than the MA DEP Guideline for Schools, and some rooms were nearly 3X the guideline. We believe these children deserve to be taught in a healthy environment.
• 1-12-00 the 1999 report was sent. | 1 |
• 5-23-03 the 2003 report was sent. | 1 |
• 6-5-03 letter from AWRSD business administrator states "the renovation and expansion project will occur in the next seven to ten years." | 1 | 2 | 3 |
• 1-25-05 a letter was sent to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) requesting information. | 1 |
• 1-29-05 a letter was sent to the Community Journal. | 1 |
• 1-28-05 newspaper article - "Some of the complaints regard issues with respiratory, eye, nose and throat irritation, lethargy and headaches. Air quality has been an issue at J.R. Briggs since 1999..."
• 1-29-05 newspaper article - "School officials will inform parents about the results of the Nashoba Board of Health's air quality tests, whether the results are "good, bad, or indifferent," said Zapantis. ...children complain about eye irritation and problems with asthma attacks at school..."
• 2-5-05 a letter was sent to the Superintendent. | 1 |
• 2-8-05 letter states that Nashoba Board of Health will do air testing on February 10, 2005. | 1 |
• 2-11-05 newspaper article - "I spoke with Mr. Feeney on Jan. 19, and was shocked to learn that he had not heard from any parent about either report until my call; and that he was unaware the school was about 1/4 mile downgradient of the unlined Ashburnham Dump on Williams Road. I believe there is a brook nearby that travels to and around the Briggs building and playground area. On Jan. 21, I spoke with a toxicologist at ASTDR who said this was not a good atmosphere for young children, and he was especailly concerned about long-term exposure. The toxicologist said I should tell as many parents as possible.
• 2-17-05 a letter was sent to the Superintendent requesting the results of the Nashoba test. | 1 |
• 3-4-05 Response from the DPH. | 1 | 2 |
• 3-5-05 Nashoba did not test because the equipment was not working properly. | 1 | 2 |
• 3-11-05 DPH conducted a reassessment. | PDF
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