ICYMI: Northport Middle School Plans To Reopen In Fall

NORTHPORT, NY — Northport Middle School, which closed in January after high levels of mercury and benzene were found in sanitary systems on school grounds, might reopen in the fall, officials said.

A report by environmental firm PW Grosser Consulting found the school safe to occupy but made several recommendations:

• Relocating the bus depot off-site
• Ensuring contaminated air does not exist in the plumbing and sanitary systems
• Preparing a Soil and Materials Management Plan for the track field
• Reviewing safety instructions for art supplies and disposing of them if need be
• Performing proper maintenance and repairs to maintain indoor air quality
• Increasing humidity in the building
• Clearing organic materials from roof drains and having them inspected
• Redirecting surface runoff away from the L-wing hallway
• Performing routine maintenance on the HVAC systems, including duct cleaning

"PWGC has not identified an environmental concern that renders the school unsafe to occupy," the firm wrote in its nearly-7,000-page report. "While several items of concern were identified during the investigation, each is addressable and does not require the school to be closed to implement."

The district's board of education voted unanimously to accept the findings of the PWGC report earlier this month. Superintendent Robert Banzer said the district began "aggressively addressing" the findings.

"We will continue to work with individual families to address concerns and answer their questions," Banzer said.

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