No Fume Threat Found at School

Tests taken at a Fountain Valley school, where some employees have complained that “toxic fumes” are endangering students and teachers, have found no health hazard, officials said Friday.

The complaints stem from glue odors from new carpeting installed at Plavan Elementary School last summer, school officials said. But 13 air sample tests taken since then have found no toxins, they said.

Dr. L. Rex Ehling, Orange County director of public health, said Friday: “We have made checks at the school and found nothing that would pose a long-term or short-term hazard to health. I assure you, we would not allow employees or children in that building if we had found any danger.”

Plavan, at 9675 Warner Ave., has about 336 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, including about 55 orthopedically or communicably handicapped students.

The Orange County Employees Assn., representing about 20 physical therapists who work with handicapped children, has charged that the fumes have caused some employees to have blurred vision and breathing problems.

Richard Masin, a union representative, began picketing and giving leaflets to parents Thursday, charging that “toxic fumes” in the school are making people sick.

Cheryl Norton, spokeswoman for Fountain Valley School District, said Friday that health and safety officials have found nothing harmful at Plavan School.

“The Orange County environmental health workers have taken 13 air samples at the school, and they’ve found nothing, “ Norton said.

The county employees, however, have complained repeatedly about the fumes, Norton said.

“These employees use the carpets more than other teachers, and maybe that’s why they’ve noticed it,” she said. “We had new carpets put in that school last summer, and our maintenance people have found that some of the glue still has not dried. Plavan is the only school in our district to be air-conditioned, and that probably adds to the problem since it’s a matter of recirculating the same air.”

Norton said maintenance workers have tried to air out any fumes in the building by using heavy-duty fans during weekends.

Catherine Follett, principal of the school, said that about seven of the 52 regular school staff members have complained about fumes. She said no students or staff have become ill because of them.

“I have not detected any odor or fumes,” she added.

Masin said several parents he talked to Thursday told him their children had been experiencing headaches and breathing problems.

“The county health people say there is no unacceptable risk from the glue fumes in that school, but we say that it is unacceptable for our employees to suffer these headaches and blurred vision and other problems,” he said.

The union will try to get students and employees moved to another building until all of the glue fumes are eliminated, he said.