Report to the West Shore School District Board of School Directors and Community on Natural Gas Leaks/Unknown Smells at Cedar Cliff High School During the 2015-2016 School Year

Submitted by Dr. Todd B. Stoltz, Superintendent
May 2017 

Purpose
Ensuring the health, safety, security, and welfare of our school community is top priority. Incidents, such as the gas leaks at Cedar Cliff High School, provide us with an opportunity to analyze and reflect on our handling of and response to the event. Thus, the purpose of this document is to provide the District’s Board of School Directors and the public with a report on the remediation of gas leaks identified at Cedar Cliff High School (“Cedar Cliff”) in March 2016, including steps taken to address any training or operational protocols for responding to these types of incidents.

Background
Following the most recent renovations to Cedar Cliff in 2009, odors from unknown sources had been reported and were often described as sewer, gas, fuel, or other unpleasant smells. Upon receiving reports of odors, attempts by District maintenance staff were made to identify the source of those odors. In many cases, suspected sources of those odors were addressed through equipment repair or replacement or further investigation conducted by outside contractors. Efforts to remediate issues were often hampered by changing conditions. In many instances, reports of odors would vary by time, location, duration, and/or type.

In response to the unpredictability of reports and the lack of identification of the source(s), the District retained Compliance Management International (CMI) to conduct an Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) assessment, which was performed between March 18 and 24, 2016, to address concerns regarding odors in the Cedar Cliff planetarium. On March 30, 2016, UGI was called to investigate the report of gas smells, and although leaks were not initially detected in the building, subsequent pressure testing of the system that day indicated a drop in pressure. At that point, McClure Company, a certified contractor, assisted in the identification and remediation of all gas leaks. As reported in April 2016 from the IAQ, “the air monitoring results for the thirteen (13) classrooms in the planetarium and the office were all below regulatory limits and/or recommended guidelines and did not indicate any air quality conditions of concern.”

Repairs to various parts of the system were made and certified for operation over the following weeks. Natural gas had been shut off to some of the instructional areas, and these areas were not certified until after the school year ended. With the work completed over the summer, all gas lines at Cedar Cliff had been systematically checked by McClure Company, pressure tested, and where necessary, remediated prior to the start of the 2016-2017 school year.

Findings
As a result of the concerns reported and identified gas leaks at Cedar Cliff, several areas of response were identified for possible improvement. The following is a presentation of any specific actions taken, employee training provided, or any other remediation implemented to ensure improved response to similar incidents in the future.

Resolution of reported concerns
Despite the attempts to address the causes of odors each time they had been reported, a permanent solution was not determined for some time. The pressure testing of the system performed in March 2016 did not occur sooner, because this recommendation had not been previously made. Moving forward, conducting pressure testing appears to be a reasonable response if the cause(s) of any odors are not determined in a timely manner or if there is a pattern of reports over a short period of time.

Expertise in Handling Natural Gas Leaks
As a result of the ongoing concerns, District staff worked alongside McClure Company to make repairs and met with representatives from UGI to review protocols. Additionally, building custodians and maintenance staff were provided with training from UGI in August 2016, prior to the 2016-2017 school year. The three hour training consisted of a review of natural gas topics, including what it is, when it is safe, when it is unsafe, what it is used for, how to identify it, and safety precautions when gas is suspected or detected. Part of the training included scented cards to assist with employee awareness and the proper identification of natural gas.

Also, the District reviewed its protocol for handling natural gas leaks and consequently, in August 2016, updated its emergency operations plan after consulting with local first responders and UGI. The updated plan was shared with all administrators at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.

Treatment of Teachers and Students by School Administration
It is clear that the recurring nature of the odors created significant frustration for everyone involved. Aside from the frustration created by the time it took to resolve the matter, communication with people reporting those conditions resulted in them feeling as though their concerns were being minimized or dismissed. Language and tone are important factors in making people feel they are heard, and that their concerns are taken seriously. Students, staff, parents, and community members should feel safe, supported, and valued when reporting concerns to Administration. This message (to communicate in a way that ensures people feel they are heard) has been and will continue to be reinforced at all levels, as it is a critical element of our focus to be service-oriented.

Statements Made by Administration and/or Maintenance
When considering the reasons why people may have felt their concerns were minimized or dismissed or caused them to question the District’s intent to identify the source of the problem, the District recognizes that the use of sarcasm, to the extent it was present, is not an appropriate response to a reported concern. Identifying the source of the odors was always the goal, and there was no reason to make light of any solution that might lead to that end.

Communicating in a timely manner always proves challenging during events that develop and change rapidly. However, the Administration always seeks to provide the public with accurate and detailed information, particularly when it comes to the health and safety of its students and staff. Timely communication has been and will continue to be reinforced at all levels, as it is a critical element to ensuring trust with the community.

School Board Oversight
Issues related to the daily operation of schools was appropriately delegated to the Superintendent for resolution. As is typical, the Superintendent provided the Board with periodic updates on the status and progress being made to remediate the gas leaks. In this sense, the Superintendent is highly accountable to the Board.

Conclusions
We are committed to achieving “Excellence in Education,” and we rely heavily on strong relationships and open dialogue with all stakeholders. It is our goal that everyone feel safe, supported, valued, and without fear of reprisal when reporting concerns to Administration. Although we prefer that concerns are reported at the specific building that is affected, District-level administrators are always available to field concerns relating to safety of students and staff, regardless of building.

The Board and Administration have worked very hard over the past years to operate with a high level of transparency. Listening to feedback from our stakeholders and reflecting on our actions and responses to incidents such as the gas leaks allow us to build and maintain trust with students, staff, parents, and the community. It is our sincere hope that this additional information demonstrates our commitment to trust and transparency with the public.