Consultant statements in 10/2/2017 PRSD BOE “working session” suggest missing asbestos test

Written by Jeff Epstein, editor of Citizens’ Media TV

According to this three minute audio clip from the October 2nd, 2017 Pinelands Regional School District Board of Education meeting (“working session”), an asbestos test was conducted on the weekend of September 29th. That test has yet to be reported on the district’s website.

This clip was provided to Citizens’ Media TV by high school parent Lee Morey. The audio clip starts at around 35 minute 30 second mark in the full recording. At the bottom of this article you will find the full transcript of this clip. All board meeting recordings can be found on the district’s website.

In the clip, Jim Guilardi of TTI Environmental states that asbestos testing was done, during the just-past weekend, with “five [or] six” PCM air samples. He said that all those samples came back clean. Only air samples were mentioned, it is unknown whether dust samples were also taken.

It was also stated that canisters were ordered for testing to be conducted the next day, on Tuesday, October 3rd. These results, which were reported on October 5th, found “slightly elevated levels” of contaminants and it was recommended that the building remain unoccupied.

In addition, TTI’s Jim Guilardi mentions in this clip that pictures were taken on that weekend on the roof.

On November 19, an anonymous person open-records requested all air-quality tests conducted but not provided to the public, but the 165-page response does not seem to contain any new results. We have specifically requested both the results of this asbestos test and these pictures. We contacted TTI by both phone and email to ask about this missing test, but have not yet heard back.

Full transcript

• Chuck Romanoli of New Road Construction: – prior — with the prior environmental consultant that we had on board –
• Board of Education President Susan Ernst: Yes, I know.
• Romanoli: They found that there was no issues. We’re going to have them test it again.
• Ernst: OK. But as of Friday when apparently the Media Center smelled and today when those orders were very evident in our school, from certain staff members, students, whomever. We’re tests done today?
• Jim Guilardi with TTI: We ran air samples for asbestos. I got a phone call today from Bob, saying there’s a smell. We have to order the canisters for the sampling we need to do with this type of work. So they were ordered today and we are going to run the samples tomorrow.
• Board member Karen Poklikuha: So was there any testing done over the weekend?
• Guilardi: Yes. For asbestos.
• Ernst: Do we have the results of those tests?
• Guilardi: We do
• Poklikuha and Ernst: And?
• Guilardi: They were all clean
• Jim Guilardi with TTI: So our guys were there. Sorry, I’m Jim from TTI.
• Romanoli: Yeah, sorry. Jim Guilardi with TTI. He’s your new environmental consultant. Works with us throughout the whole process.
• Guilardi: We just came on board last week. This is our first time – weekend with this project.
• Pokilakua: Welcome.
• Guilardi: Thanks. We had a crew there on Saturday. We started Saturday morning. Our main goal was to make sure that – one of my guys [was] on the roof and he was there to clear it. So when they pull the roof off, before they put the new roof on, we’re required to give them the OK. Take pictures, mark it on our drawings, [and declare that] it is clean. It’s good to go.

  While we were doing that, we also had a guy down in the lobby area. We’re running air samples. We’re running maybe five, six air samples while they were doing the work. The PCM air samples were tested for asbestos. All those samples came back clean.

  Now, we were doing the work over where they have the decking that doesn’t have the holes. So we were also there to make sure that, when they’re doing the work, nothing fell down on top of ceiling tiles and they were cleaned properly. We were there probably from Friday – or Saturday morning till Monday morning.

  Yes?

• Poklikuha: One thing I didn’t know, Jim. Are you taking the pictures and you guys are sharing them with these guys now?
• Gloria: We will. We haven’t yet. [Unknown] my guys just got home and they’re probably sleeping in still from –
• Unknown BOE member: You’re actually – the holes that we saw where all the stuff was, where the last environmental consultants –
• Gloria: We took pictures then they took pictures. Yes.
• Unknown BOE member: OK
• Guilardi: So now, when I pull off all that stuff, and my goes up there, and there – the roofing contractors or told not to do anything until my guy gets a visual – and believing it’s not an easy – it’s gone back-and-forth and they’re complaining, but it’s got to be clean. So my guy is up there doing that, and we’re also running samples down below.
• Unknown BOE member: OK, Thank you.
• Williams: And they had a vac that was delivered on Friday that was utilized all weekend.
• Guilardi: I think that they’re behind schedule for a couple reasons. I think they ran out of diesel fuel. I know that there were some arguments about What is this clean? And Bob, you know, Bob –