Finally a report we've been asking for since spring!

March 15, 2011 Project Number: FV926 L03

SD36 Surrey

District Facilities Centre

6400-144^{th Street}

Surrey, BC

V3W 5R5

Attention Mr. Greg Forbes-King

Assistant Director, Plant Maintenance & Minor Renovations

cc: Nancy Johnston, Health and Safety Officer

Tin Sham, Manager, Structural/Plumbing

Reference: Visual Inspection in Crawlspace of POD 300 - Peace Arch Elementary School

Introduction

In response to your request, Pacific Environmental Consulting and Occupational Hygiene Services (Pacific) has been conducting monthly inspections within the crawlspace of POD 300 and fungal sampling in occupied areas (classrooms) at the above referenced site. Remediation had been performed in both the fall and winter of 2010; Pacific performed pre-contamination inspections, daily inspections, and final visual investigations as well as fungal sampling during remediation activities. The findings supported the conclusion that there was no cross contamination between the crawlspace and the occupied areas during remediation and that removal and cleaning was completed as recommended to the extent possible. However, it was acknowledged that there was some ongoing water intrusion that needed to be repaired.

This report details the findings of the visual crawlspace inspection completed on March 4, 2011. For spore trap sampling within classrooms of POD 300, see the Pacific report FV926 L02 SD36, Peace Arch – Fungal Sampling.

Visual Investigation – March 4, 2011

Pacific conducted a visual investigation of the POD 300 crawlspace and found that the moisture/water sources had not been corrected. Water was pooled on the floor beneath a pipe penetration in the floor (above), which is located approximately midway along the west wall about four feet out, beneath Classrooms 1 and 3 (Appendix A: Photo 1). The concrete walls along the west as well as the north and south sides at the west ends were wet (Appendix A: Photos 2 and 3). Water staining and drips were visible on the floor joists and the underside of the wood floor from the west wall to approximately eight feet out along the full length of the west wall. Fungal growth had re-grown on the underside of the floor, centered around the previously referenced pipe penetration in the floor (Appendix A: Photo 4).

Recommendations

The following recommendations were also communicated in an interim report dated January 14, 2011. All sources of water ingress impacting the crawlspace should be identified and corrected or controlled. This should be done as soon as possible to prevent further water damage and/or fungal growth in the crawlspace. Once the water ingress issues have been corrected/controlled, the area should be remediated and a structural engineer retained to assess the damage to structural components, such as floor joists. Interim control measures such as dehumidifiers, mechanical exhaust fans and drip trays could be used to control the water ingress until a permanent solution has been identified.

In the interim, Pacific will continue to perform crawlspace inspections and spore trap sampling on a monthly basis, as directed by SD36 (Surrey).

Environmental Consulting &

Occupational Hygiene Services

Excellence and Innovation since 1990

1336 Main Street, North Vancouver, B.C. V7J 1C3 • Phone: (604) 980-3577 • Fax: (604) 980-2188 www.pacificenvironmentalbc.com 2 March 2011

Limitations

This report has been prepared in accordance with established Industrial Hygiene and Mycological practices. It is intended for the exclusive use of School District 36 (Surrey) in order to assist them in complying with the requirements of the WorkSafeBC Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The use of this document for any other purposes is at the sole risk of the user.

Statement of Qualifications

Pacific Environmental Consulting and Occupational Hygiene Services has been providing consulting services in the environmental and industrial hygiene fields, since 1990. Our industrial hygiene expertise ensures that all projects are performed in accordance with the WorkSafeBC Occupational Health & Safety Regulations. Our personnel include the following:

• Industrial Hygienists (CIH, ROH)

• Professional Engineers (PEng)

• Registered Professional Biologists (RPBio)

• Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP)

• Occupational Health and Safety Technicians.

Our company also carries Comprehensive General Liability and Environmental Errors & Omissions Liability Insurance.

Yours truly,

Pacific Environmental Consulting & Occupational Hygiene Services

Lynnette Bosch, DipT OH&S Jennifer Blair, MSc, CIH, RPBio

Senior OH&S Technologist Manager, Industrial Hygiene

Field Work and Report Report Review

Ref: FV926 March 14, 2011 School District 36 (Surrey) Crawlspace Inspection Peace Arch Elementary School, Surrey, BC – POD 300 Report ID: FV926 March 14, 2011

Where has the time gone?

Well, here we are in October 2011 and I can't believe where summer went, and especially where did September go? 
Many meetings and events have taken place since spring in dealing with the mould and asbestos issues at our school and we'll try to keep the information and updates coming this fall but quickly for now we need to report that many kids are experiencing symptoms that can probably best be attributed to our school and at last the teachers are also starting to report conditions of their health that they have been experiencing for the last few years that they now know are from the state of the school.  One teacher has reported a sharp increase in nose bleeds from students in one pod over the last couple of years and in the library the ferns have grown back on the inside of the ceiling only to be taken down again last week during the time a class was in there. 

Crawlspaces have been opened up during class time in pod 300 and the contaminated air allowed to be released into the classroom. 

Workers have not been following proper safety regulations while working in the areas and once again we feel that we're somewhat back to square one. 

The healthy school meeting of last year really seemed to yield very little in the way of results and the frustration level of parents has only mounted.  Thankfully more parents have become aware of what is going on, done their own research and realized the seriousness of this for their own kids' health sake. 

Asbestos and mould (mold) are terrible things for our kids to be breathing in and we shouldn't be allowing the school to get away with this anymore.  In the end, this author believes it comes down to money.  The school board of Surrey (who happened to build an expensive new facility for themselves recently) does not want to spend the money to properly take care of this mess.  And honestly, Peace Arch Elementary probably needs to be torn down and re-built.  Get rid of the mould and asbestos for good.  Enough of the band-aid solutions that aren't working. 

Enjoy your weekend everyone and please feel free to add your comments or ask your questions here, we'll do our best to follow up.