Laurel Plains Mystery Continues

The mystery odor, so far, remains a mystery as Laurel Plains Elementary School stays closed until at least Wednesday.

Additional tests of the building and surrounding area discovered no cause of the sewage-like smell that caused reactions in some staffers.

"We are deeply interested in a resolution to this and deeply interested in bringing the children back to the school," said Clarkstown School District Superintendent Margaret Keller-Cogan.

School officials decided Sept. 27, after a contentious PTA meeting with more than 100 parents in attendance, to close Laurel Plains through at least Monday while environmental consultants try to determine what caused some staff members to have symptoms of dizziness, nausea and headaches.

In consultation with Rockland Board of Cooperative Educational Services and New City-based Environmental Consulting & Management Services, Inc., the district had eight staff members in the elementary school building Monday for about four hours to see how they reacted to the environs.

"Of the people here today, all but one experienced symptoms," Keller-Cogan said. Also on site, were Seth Armstrong of the Health and Safety group from Rockland BOCES and district Coordinator of Health Services Susan Sherlock.

Martin Rutstein of Environmental Consulting said Armstrong's role was to map where the symptoms occurred. Sherlock was there to record the symptoms as described by the staff members.

Keller-Cogan said about 12 people will be at the school in the afternoon today to see if time of day is a factor. Some staffers will spend the entire day at the school Wednesday.

"On Wednesday, (Principal) Carol (Pilla) and I will determine if the children can come back," Keller-Cogan said. 

Students and staff were evacuated to Clarkstown South Sept. 23 after a half dozen staffers complained of the symptoms and a sewage-like odor. Multiple air quality tests, as well as two sewer pipe cleanings and visual inspections of the pipes, were negative.

Classes resumed at Laurel Plains Friday, Sept. 24, but the following Monday, 203 out of 373 students were absent. 

The school district had been working since Sept. 16 to find the cause of the odor.

The Health and Safety group from the Rockland Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Quality Environmental Solutions and Technologies, Inc. (QuEST) and, most recently, Environmental Consulting have tested the air quality in the school.

Among the things Rutstein's team checked at the school since last week were diesel and automobile fumes, sewer and gas line leaks, air conditioners, copiers, office equipment, chemicals used and teachers' supplies.

"One of the teachers told me one of the smells was of pencils and a sharpener," he said.

Rutstein also checked the building construction materials, streams and swamps in area, the use of landscaping chemicals and mulch piles.

There was a slight increase in methane levels in the principal's office, at levels well below where people can smell it, he said.

Pilla will be moved into another office until the level of methane is reduced.

Rutstein said a one-time occurance would be a strange phenomenon. 

"This was not a once in a lifetime event," he said. "I'm told it has happened at least over the past three years in September and May."

Rutstein said it was impossible to recreate the dry environmental conditions of mid-September, a time quite different from the last few days of rain.

"When you have symptoms that come and go," he said, "it's very difficult when it's transitory."

There seems to be some seasonal commonality, Rutstein said. "Why September and May?"

He said he would have loved to find a smoking gun.

"If I said we found chemical ABCD, then I could do something about it," Rutstein said.

Francesca Cartagena of New City has a son in the second grade at Laurel Plains.

"I'm just tired of it all," she said. "I think it's overkill. How much more can they do?"

Cartagena said her son never complained of any smells or illness.

She would allow her son to go back to the school.

"If they are telling me it's safe, then sure," Cartagena said.