Free Exhibit - District Court of Connecticut - Connecticut

Case 3:03-cv-00945-CFD Document 212-10 Filed 05/ 1 0/ · Y- _
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QUINNIP [ACK VALLEY HEALTH DISTRICT
ll5l Hartford Tumpike
North Haven CT 06473 —
(203) 248-1523
December 26, 2000
Ure following Frequently Asked Questions have been prepared to update residents on the activities at the Hamden Middle School. This is the first of ~
many pieces of lnforruation that will bt: made available throughout Lbe process. U
Are the playing Eelds behind the school safe for my children to play nn?
Yes, wc believe thc playing Etclds arc safe:. ln the mid-l990s, il soil barrier wa5 placed on the fields;. The barrier minimizes contact wiLh le-ad that is
present at high levels in soil iu several place: on the field. lu 1992, the CT Department of Public Hea1th(CT DPH) evaluated the data on lead in soil
at Lhc Flclds a¤d'dctermined that the fields were sale even without Lhe barrier, provided that gums on the field was maintained and no digging
occurred The CT Department ofE¤vironmcntzd Protection (Cl` DEP) is evaluating whether additional soil samples need to be taken on the playing
Hclds.
PAQS were found in surface soil near the school. \Vh:1t are PAHs?
PAHS are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. P.»\l~ls are 11 group ofchemicals forrncd during the incomplete burning of organic substances such :1:2
coal, oil, gas, wood, garbage, tobacco, and charbroiletl meat, PAH5 are found throughout the environment They arc present in common things such
as cigarette smoke, vehicle exhausg asphalt roads, smoke from wood Gres and chzxrgrilled foods. PAHs ut the Hamden Middle School were found at _
elevated levels in surface soil near the school. The source ofthe PAH5 is not known for certain but they could have come from garbage that may —
have been bumcd at the school property or wood or coal ash that may have been dumped thcrc.
What is the health ciTcctJ from exposure to P.*·.Hs'! ‘
In order to be exposed to PAH5 at thc school, you must come {nm direc: contact wirh [he cunrumr'nated_xot`l (for example, touching the soil, eating soil
particles on hands or food, or breathing airborne soil particles). Several PAHS have been shown to cause cancer iu lubomtory animals und in people
ztilcr long periods of exposure. Sturiim in animals have M20 shown that PAHs can cause hzurmful effects on skin, body fluids, andthe Lmmtmc --
system. These effects have not been reported in people. lf you avoid direct contact with the PAl—l—<:out21mi11z11ed soil at the scllool, you will not be
exposed and need not worry about health eB"ccts. Even ifthere was some contact with PAHs in soil in the pew; it is very unlikely Lhat such exposure
would be frequent and intense enough to cause a health e0`ecL The Town ofllrtmdetx Board ofEdu Conducted more extensive surface soil sampling around the school to bcttcr define thc cxtcnt ofthe conmminadom CT DEP is reviewing the data and
A will determine, Ln consultation with CT Dl’l·l_ which areas should be removed. Duong the Christmas recess, soil with very high lcvcls ot`PAHs will
be rcmovcd and replaced with clean soil.
\Vhy is there methane under the school building? ls the methane moving into air inside the building? Can it harm me? -
Methane is at Uztrnmablc, colorless, Lmtclcss und odorless gas. lt is the primary ingxcdicnt in natural gu used for heating, Mcthzmc is prudueed from
decomposing waste materials present in landfills cmd from nutuml biodcgmtiafion ofpcuoleum products. Lnndiilled material is prcscnt undcmcath
thc Hamden Middle School so it is not surprising that there is methane prmern too. lt is possible that the tmdergmund fuel oil storagc tzmk located
next to thc boiler room may have lcmked. Degradation of the fuel oil in the grcvmd would also produce methane. Methane has been found undemcnth
thc boiler room floor ofthe school but it docs not appear to be present under tin; floor in other parts of the school. Methane has not been detected in
indoor air ofthe sc}w0L Methrmc is not toxic to mc body. However, if enough methane builds up in am enclosed space (such as a crawl space or
ploscr) with enough oxygen, it cm produce an explosion ifan ignition source (such as a lighted cigarette or spark fiom static electricity) is
introduced. A methane detector with a 24—hour alrum has been installed in the boiler room. lf even at very low level ofmetbant: rnjgmtcs from
undcmcath the floor into the air ofthe boiler room, the alarm will sound, giving people in the building enough time to leave Lhc building and thc Hrc ~
dcpzurtmcnt ample time to respond A5 an additional safety precaution, {irc dcpzmrnent personnel will regularly check the Functioning ofthe mcLb:u1c
dctcctor and measure the air for mcthzxne _
lam concerned about teachers and others working at thc school who have cancer. I5 it possible that contamination at the school caused
their cancer'?
Cancer is usually not caused by only one factor, but is almost always caused by :1 combination of factors including lifestyle (smoking, dict, exercise),
V heredity and the cnvironmcrrL Czmccr is very common; approximately l in 3 to 4 people will bc diagnosed with czmccr at som: point in their life.
` This means that lftherc are 100 teachers and other staff who work in thc Hamden Middle School, we would expect 25 to 30 ofthcm to get cancer at
some point in their livcs. Cancer is not one disease. There are many different types ofcaucer and each type is considered I1 different disease, with
di£Tcrcnt causes. We are usually not conccrncd about thc environment :L$ an cause oiia cluster ofczxnccrs unless all ofthe cancers are Ll`tC same type. V
CT DPH often evaluates clusters ofczmccrs to see whether there arc 11 greater number ofcancem in :1 particular area than would be cxpccted. Before
zx possible cancer cluster can bc cvzxluatcd, the dcmils of czach cnsc must be conflrmcd. People with infomjatioo about cancer cases at the Hamden
Middle School or thc contiguous neighborhood arc cncoumgcd ro contact Leslie Balch, Director of llmlth at 203—248—1528r
HAM 03085

Case 3:03-cv-00945-CFD Document 212-10 Filed 05/10/2007 Page 2 of 2
is it possible that the air in the school is causing asthma or other respiratory conditions?
Testing has not found any obvious problems that might trigger asthrna or other respiratory conditions. There are many indoor air quality problems in
schools that mn trigger asthma or other respiratory conditions. indoor air quality problems can include chemical pollutants from building or building
maintenance materials, chemical pollutants from science and art classes, improperly maintained ventilation systems, mold growth from excess
moisture ia ceiling tiles, carpets and other furnishings, and polleas in outdoor air that may enter the school through ventilation systems and/or open
doors and windows. ln November 2000, a consultant hired by the school performed an indoor air quality eva.lua.t:lon at the Hamden school that
included testing for a number of diderent chemical contaminants, The results ofthe indoor air study showed no sigrtibcaat levels ofmost indoor air
pollutants Carbon dioxide levels were slightly elevated when mmsured in a few occupied locations. Carbon dioxide is not toxic but is used as an
indicator ofventilatjou rates, since building occupants exhales it The indoor air study also noted moisture problems and recommendations were
given to the school to correct them. Additional information about the ventilation wstem will be obtained during the Cluistmas recess.
Is the water at the school safe to drink?
Yes. Water at the Hamden Middle School is provided by the Regional Water Authority and is required to be twted routinely fora long list of
contaminants, As an added measure ofsecurity, the Regional Water Authority and an independent laboratory tested the water at the school to
November 2000 and detected no contaminants. _
Li it safe for the Hamden Middle School to remain open?
Yes. Based on the data we have reviewed and the precautions that have already been taken and those that will be taken in the coming weeks (for
example, installation ofa methane detector, surliice soil removal for PAHs), we believe that children are safe and the school can rcmdn open.
How extensive is the site (landfill area)? \Vhat was dumped there?
Based on historical information and aerial photographs it is believed that the landfill extended across the street to Rocltford Park and imo some ofthe
neighborhoods in the area The DEP will start testing the soil at the park during the last week of December 2000. Based on their findings, any
necessary precautions will be defined and a plan will be developed to conduct further testing in the area ofthe old landhll. This is the beginning ofan
organized, structured plan to deline the site and its potential impact on the environment and health. Right now nobody knows exactly what was
dumped there. Anyone with information about companies that dumped in the area or what they dumped, can help with the investigation by calling
Leslie Balch at 2-184528.
\Vh:it is :1 Superfund site'? .
Superfund sites are sites where hazardous wastes have been l`ou;nd and the fedeml EPA has determined that federal action is needed to address the
wastes. A site may be listed on the federal EPA National Priorities List (NPL). Sites are placed on the EPA NPL list through a hazardous ranking
system that is generally based on the potential risk to human health and the environment The: Hamden Middle School site is not currently on the EPA
National Priority List.
UDEP identilies Il responsible party, what role will they play'? *
If one or more companies or agencies are found to be responsible for creating the lztndlill, they will be required to hilly investigate and remediate the
pollution caused by their activities. ·
\Vh:1t is happening at the site now? _
There is a lot of activity planned for the last week in December 2000.
• The areas of soil on the Middle School property which have tested high for PAHs will bc removed under controlled conditions as speciticd by
DEP, and replaced with cleztn soil. ‘
* Future testing under the Middle School building is being conducted by DEP to confirm the location and extent ofthe methane under the
building We want to lmow as much ats possible about the methane and the indoor air in the school. _
Y The soil at Rochford Field and Rochford Field Annex is being tested by DEP. `lhis is the first step in the process of defining the extent ofthe
landfill, M well as any precautions or remediation people should take.
ne Quiimipiaclc Valley Health District, local health department.; willycvoiinniieto inform residents oftlieihndingsaiid their implications. A-
· tbthbinahonlofnctvspaper columns, flyers and public forums will beiised to this purpose. Anyone wanting more information can call Leslie: Balch it!
248-4528.
HAM 03086