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Boulder Valley School District parents concerned about school cleanliness, safety following Marshall Fire

Boulder Valley School District
Posted at 5:48 PM, Feb 28, 2023
and last updated 2023-02-28 20:34:35-05

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. – The Marshall Fire tore through Boulder County more than a year ago. Families impacted by the fire are still trying to gain a sense of normalcy.

A group of Boulder Valley School District parents reached out to Denver7, saying they have health concerns about their children’s schools that survived the fire.

One parent from Louisville, who did not want to be identified, says she has had more than a year’s worth of experience dealing with the aftermath of the Marshall Fire. Her home was one of the ones that was spared.

“We all know from a year’s worth of experience that there is contamination in places you would never expect,” she said. “I have a support group, I gather people together every week to talk about this. Their homes looked clean, they smelled clean, they tested them. There were heavy metals, char."

Boulder Valley School District parents concerned about school cleanliness, safety following Marshall Fire

Denver7 reached out to officials with the Boulder Valley School District, who said they have taken measures to return its buildings to pre-fire condition.

In a statement, BVSD Chief Communications Officer Randy Barber said air quality testing was conducted by an independent firm.

Following parents' concerns, the district's industrial hygienist and Boulder County Public Health were contacted. According to Barber, both officials "affirmed that "prudent, necessary, and adequate measures were taken" by BVSD in response to the Marshall Fire, and no further action is warranted."

“The Boulder Valley School District places the highest priority on the health and safety of our students and staff and on providing a safe learning environment. 

Both during and following the Marshall Fire, BVSD took action to safeguard schools in the area and mitigate the environmental impacts of the fires on our buildings and sites. The district looked to both independent consultants and regulatory agencies for guidance in our response to the event. 

For details of specific actions taken by BVSD during and immediately after the fire, see the letter from Clark Seif Clark [bvsd.org] regarding indoor environmental quality. 

Following extensive cleaning at the affected schools, air quality testing was conducted by an independent environmental consulting firm. The monitoring results indicated that the indoor air in all monitored locations contained fewer PM2.5 particles than the outdoor air at the time of the assessment. Trace gas (including TVOC) concentrations were well within normal and expected values, with no anomalies detected.

In light of the parent's ongoing concerns, BVSD staff again consulted with our industrial hygienist, Derrick Denis of Clark Seif Clark (CSC) and Bill Hayes of Boulder County Public Health regarding the issues the parents raised.

Both Mr. Denis and Mr. Hayes affirmed that “prudent, necessary, and adequate measures were taken” by BVSD in response to the Marshall Fire, and no further action is warranted.”

However, some parents want proof in the form of a post-restoration verification.

“They look in places that may not have been cleaned. Because restoration companies can make mistakes, they can miss things. And it's important to review and verify the scope of work and review and verify that the work was done appropriately,” added the concerned parent.

In a response, Barber said detailed information about remedial actions, including air quality and soil test summaries, was emailed to families and staff. It is also posted on the district's website.

“In light of the parent's ongoing concerns, BVSD staff again consulted with our industrial hygienist, Derrick Denis of Clark Seif Clark (CSC) and Bill Hayes of Boulder County Public Health regarding the issues the parents raised.

Both Mr. Denis and Mr. Hayes affirmed that “prudent, necessary, and adequate measures were taken” by BVSD in response to the Marshall Fire, and no further action is warranted.

Further, BVSD was advised that there is not a universally accepted cleaning standard nor IH clearance following fire remediation for schools in this situation. 

This opinion is inclusive of wall and ceiling cavities which were protected from the introduction of combustion by-products because all outdoor air intakes were closed.

BVSD has shared detailed information about all remedial actions as well as air quality and soil test summaries directly with families and staff via email. Extensive information is also posted on BVSD’s website.

BVSD remains committed to the health and safety of our students and staff. With the guidance of experts in the industrial hygiene field, the district has made a tremendous effort to return our buildings to pre-fire condition so that our students and staff have a clean and safe learning and working environment.”

“I think that the parents have a valid stance to say that ‘We want post testing done. We want to know that our kids are safe.' They've done it in all of their homes,” said Lynda Fratis, an industrial hygienist in Boulder County. “Your kids are there for eight hours a day, sometimes longer if they have after-school programs. Why would we want to know that our kids are safe? Who has been testing homes in the Marshall Fire burn zone after they’ve been cleaned?”

“All we're asking is for them to check. Hopefully, the answer is everything's fine,” added the parent.

Another mother who wished to remain anonymous emailed Denver7 on Tuesday, saying her children were previously enrolled in the district.

“In the beginning, none of us knew how to deal with a toxic urban fire. Now we know better. I am asking BVSD to DO BETTER and get our schools tested to be sure we have a safe place for our children and teachers. The absence of evidence does not equal the evidence of absence in this toxic smoke scenario,” she said. “We pulled our kid from BVSD after the fire due to concerns around health and safety. I know we are not the only ones. Toxic chemicals from smoke can seep into buildings even when HVAC is off. We had insanely high winds that pushed toxins into our homes, schools and businesses and anything porous absorbed them. Ceiling tiles, carpeting, books. BVSD claims that all is fine, and we genuinely hope that is the case. However now that we know what we know about the toxic smoke, we need testing to be sure. The absence of evidence, does not equal the evidence of absence.”

“I think our children should come first, and their safety should be a higher priority. I mean, these families have gone out of their way to make sure that their homes are safe again, for their kids to be living in. I think that we, I think it needs to be done in the schools. We need to know that their kids are safe,” added Fratis.

Parents told Denver7 they will continue to speak up about the issue, including during a BVSD school board meeting Tuesday night.