Department clarifies information on air quality at St. Thomas of Villanova

Air quality testing that was done at St. Thomas of Villanova in May 1998 identified no health risks except for the presence of mold spores, which microbiologist Dr. Thakor Patel has explained are well below levels which would cause concern. (Regular cleaning of mold was the action he recommended as necessary.)

To alleviate parents� concerns, the Department of Education has made possible Dr. Patel�s attendance at the public meeting scheduled for Monday, September 11. Dr. Patel will answer parents� questions regarding air quality in the school.

An environmental audit conducted on August 8, 2000, indicated no health risks to students, teachers and school staff.

To alleviate parents� concerns, however, another air quality test will be conducted next week. It generally takes two to three weeks after testing has been done before results are known. In the interim, parents are encouraged to allow their children to return to school.

The Department of Education is committed to providing a safe learning environment for all students in the province. To that end, over the past three years, the department has funded a comprehensive air quality testing program and provided in excess of $10 million to remediate deficiencies. An additional $1.3 million has been spent on air quality testing alone.

Media contact: Andrea Maunder, Director of Communications, (709) 729-0048.

2000 09 08 4:50 p.m.