Mt. Vernon Elementary Environmental Study
In the spring of 2024, Springfield Public Schools (SPS) commissioned an environmental study at Mt. Vernon Elementary School. PBS Environmental utilized three stations inside and two stations outside, strategically placed around the school to measure for specific contaminants:
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- Asbestos
- Fungal Particulates (mold)
The results did not detect pesticides, herbicides, PCBs, or asbestos. Mold was detected at a concentration considered to be normal and deemed not a concern.
History
In June 2019, SPS District leadership received a letter from current and former staff members regarding health concerns at Mt. Vernon Elementary, which was built in 1997. The concerns were claiming a link between the school and several cancer cases of current and former staff and students. The letter claimed there were contaminants at the building, including asbestos and PCBs.
District staff immediately started gathering information and talking with experts. At the suggestion of SAIF, the District’s worker compensation company, District leaders engaged with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
District staff shared radon and lead testing results and building construction certifications with OHA. After evaluating the data, OHA shared there was no cause to recommend additional testing or an investigation. District leaders shared this information with Mt. Vernon staff and families, including additional resources and information.
COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic forced students and nearly all staff to vacate all buildings to help slow the spread of the virus. This natural pause slowed some of the external conversations about the health concerns at Mt. Vernon.
As part of the Healthy and Safe Schools Plan and once students and staff were back in the building, the District tested for radon and lead (in drinking water and paint), as well as reviewed our integrated pest management practices. The findings did not reveal any contamination. The District posted testing results to the website, which is required and available to the public.
Additional Concerns Shared
In February 2023, current and former District and Mt. Vernon staff again raised concerns regarding additional diagnosis of cancer cases. Trying to better understand the severity of the issue, as well as for support and guidance, District staff again turned to OHA. After again evaluating the cases, it recommended the District to take no further action.
Following community members sharing their concerns with multiple state agencies, including the Governor’s Office, OHA scheduled another meeting with District staff.
OHA evaluated current and historical test results from Mt. Vernon as well as the number of known cases in the Mt. Vernon Elementary School geographic area. OHA shared that the number of known cases would not be considered a cluster and was not higher than what would be expected anywhere else in the state. They again reinforced their recommendation to take no further action, including testing.
Additional Environmental Testing
In December 2023, the District contacted PBS Environmental to request a quote for additional testing. The two parties entered into an agreement in April at a cost $13,550. On April 11, PBS conducted the air sampling throughout Mt. Vernon Elementary. They collected samples from the three educational wings of the school and two additional tests outside.
After discussing possible locations throughout the building with the testing agency, it was decided that samples would be collected from the academic wings, as that is the location where the largest congregation of students and staff reside throughout the day. To ensure all possible hazards were detected, the testing agency verified that the building’s HVAC system distributes air throughout the facility, meaning any contaminants from one area of the building would be spread throughout. PBS sent the air samples to NVL Laboratories in Seattle, an independent laboratory. The results did not detect pesticides, herbicides, PCBs, or asbestos. Mold was detected at a concentration considered to be normal and deemed not a concern.
District leaders shared the results with the Board of Education on May 13, 2024. The District also shared the results with OHA.
OHA Statement
The Oregon Health Authority Public Health Division (PHD) reviewed a variety of concerns raised regarding environmental conditions in and around the Mt Vernon School and concluded that no conditions have been identified that could be associated with an increased risk of cancer in the Census tract area of concern and would require remediation.
Mt. Vernon Environmental Report
On April 11, 2024, PBS Engineering and Environmental LLC (PBS) performed indoor air quality testing at Mount Vernon Elementary School located in Springfield, Oregon. You can download the complete report along with the conclusions certified by PBS.