Boy oh Boy!
Does it stink at Penn Trafford High School. I took a walk on the wild side with Mr. Inglis the school principal. I wanted to see for myself about the odor. I thought maybe my kids were exaggerating but they were not.
There are some spots worse than others . The only solution is for the school admins. to stop construction. That’s ok for the seniors who are not coming back but what about the others students who will be returning in the fall.
The problem is the school admin should of thought about building a new school instead of a new roof.
I worry about the chemicals they are using so my next step is to get a list from the school. I am thinking about calling the EPA .
I was impressed with Mr. Inglis taking the time to take me around the school. I am really fond of him; not only is he good looking he has a sense of humor. He said , “You don’t have many friends in the school do you .” I don’t have many friends at all in Penn Township that’s because am a student advocate and I look out for their rights not only as a parent but human being.
Not many parents care- all they care about is if their kid got to pitch at a baseball ball game.
When something involves my kids I fight back like a lion who cubs are being attacked! I don’t care how old they get.
School is tough and so is being a parent.
I’m not that old that I don’t remember what’ it’s like being in school. I was spanked in the first grade! I still remember that day.. It still brings tears to my eyes. I was only six years old and I still remember it. It was a nun wearing one of those black habits - boy would I like to find her today and remove her feeding tube.
Just remember when you seniors throw up your cap May 28th -those high school days are over and nothing before that day will matter. What you did in school or your friends will not matter except your grades. Know one cares if you played varisty football, baseball or if you made homecoming queen or king. No one cares what shade of blue your prom dress was or if you sat by yourself at lunch all year long.
All that matters is what you do after graduation and what you strive to become and never let anyone try and silence you.
Today is the big primary day. Vote for Hillary so the other guy does not have chance.
All you seniors who are registered go out and vote!!!!
By the way I’m starting to get a headache from that stinky school!
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:33 pm
My mom called the administration building today and they told her that no one had called and complained and that Mr. Inglese does not smell anything in the school and the construction will go into September. She also found out that a teacher at the high school, who is pregnant, talked to her doctor about the tar smell and he highly recommended that she did not work for the rest of the year because it would be harmful to the child that she bears. Now, if it is so harmful to her child that she cannot work for the remainder of the year, then, what is it doing to us students who are in school all day for the rest of the year?? I think that something has to be done about this or they’ll get sued by parents of sick children or something because it is a health hazard as much as they say it is non toxic. I think our district likes to cover a lot up. But that’s just my opinion. I know, that if it smells tomorrow, im writing a letter to Dr. Kolonay and I’m going to go to the administration building myself to ask about it. If nothng is done about this, I think th students should do something about it… whether “something” is signing a petition or walking out, I’m not sure.
April 22nd, 2008 at 9:35 pm
btw, Jennie, I think it is awesome that you are concerned about the students’ rights in Penn-Trafford.
April 22nd, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Pittsburgh Area Office
Federal Office Building, Room 1428
1000 Liberty Avenue
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-4101
(412) 395-4903
(412) 395-6380 FAX
OSHA the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has this # to call if your workplace or building is not safe. This # is the one NOT for emergencies. It’s to complain and see if they can investigate.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:44 am
Fred,
I just got off the phone with OSHA.
They gave me the Greensburg health dept # 724-830-2701
Maybe the parents should have a town meeting about this.
I am calling the president of the school board Mr. Willsworth
724-527-6656
If parents would call him maybe we can it the construction stopped till school is out!
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:49 am
I bit the admin. hate when I call the school. Oh no it’s her again!
Too bad I say.
April 23rd, 2008 at 8:51 am
It’s good to hear I’m not alone.
Tell your mom to call her friends and family to call too.
The more parents we have the better chance there is to stop construction till the end of the year..
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:15 pm
I sent an e-mail to the contractors that are working on the roof of the school… here is a reply from their president.
Dear “Mr. Doe”,
In response to your e-mail regarding the unpleasant odors of the asphalt material in use at Penn Trafford High School:
1. On the one particular day you are referring to, there were some rooftop vents in the vicinity of the roof area we were replacing that were not closed / turned off properly. That, combined with the unusual wind patterns on that day, may have caused some of the asphalt odors to penetrate parts of the building. We have promptly taken action to alleviate this issue by working closely with maintenance personnel to ensure that all of the vents in the vicinity we are working are closed.
2. In addition, we have suggested that any windows that are downwind from the asphalt be kept closed as we are working in that specific area. Unfortunately, many students and teachers choose not to use common sense and follow this recommendation.
3. The smell / odors of the asphalt product that we are using on this project are not a health hazard, as evidenced by numerous studies done on this subject. Material Safety Data Sheets have been provided to the school, and a copy is maintained by us on the jobsite as well.
4. Additional efforts to minimize the unpleasant asphalt odor have been made by use of a “no smell asphalt”. This means that the asphalt contains a harmless, non-toxic odor suppressant additive that stops the evaporation of lighter petroleum molecules to minimize fumes. Nearly all of the fumes that are being emitted by the asphalt are at the point of application (i.e. rooftop, not asphalt kettle on ground), which have been addressed as outlined in #1 above.
5. Even though we are one of the largest and most experienced roofing contractors in the region, it is virtually impossible to complete all of this work within the minimal time frame while school is not in session as you suggest, simply because of the extraordinary massive size of this roof replacement project (180,000 sq. ft.). If this work wouldn’t have started until school let out in June, then the work would still be ongoing in late August and September when school is back in session and rooftop air conditioning units (with air intakes) are more likely to be in use.
6. In addition to simply replacing the roof, we are also replacing wet roof insulation and making some repairs to the roof deck. Since this presents a danger of mold and structural damage issues, it is imperative that this work commenced immediately. Any reasonable person would agree that the possibility of a deteriorated piece of roof deck falling into the building because of water damage is a far greater risk than the slight inconvenience of harmless asphalt odor.
In conclusion, I hope that this letter alleviates your concerns and clarifies the situation. Please keep in mind that this is only a temporary, minor inconvenience, and be assured that in no way is the health of the students and staff at Penn Trafford High School being endangered as a result of our roof work activities at the school. As a parent of a student myself, I am very sympathetic to your anxiety over this matter, and I apologize on behalf of our company for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Sincerely,
Daniel Mester
President
Miller-Thomas-Gyekis, Inc.
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:34 pm
Well did he read the data sheet that is posted on the company web page who furnishes the material they are using.
I’m the one who complained about the water damage and mold! I know it’s bad.
I know full well about this Mr. Mester
He seemed very cocky in his tone.
I don’t want the school open while they are using petroleum base on the school while students and teachers are in the building.
Thanks Fred
How do you feel about this letter?
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:30 pm
I thought parts of it were really sarcastic, especially when he said the students and teachers were making a bad decision to open the windows… we had to open them because the smell was coming in through the ventilators. Where is the fact sheet about the tar?
Also…
“Any reasonable person would agree that the possibility of a deteriorated piece of roof deck falling into the building because of water damage is a far greater risk than the slight inconvenience of harmless asphalt odor.”
Do they work on the weekends? What about when it rains? The roof is moldy already, so what happens if the deck falls in while students are learning on the 2nd floor?
April 23rd, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Fred,
I have a link to the companies webpage on todays blog .
http://www.continentalmaterials.com
It is Type III page 2
You have very good points that need to be addressed.
April 25th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Why did the workers leave at 2:30 yesterday instead of working to the end of the day!
Maybe if they would work all day.
Mr. Mester should read page 2 in the first paragraph on the data sheet about what OSHA says about this chemical!