A Jim Thorpe Area School District resident pressed officials at last week’s board meeting to verify that follow-up air sampling recommended in a $20,000 environmental study at the Penn Kidder Campus had been completed.

Facilities Director Charlie Dresher said he could not confirm on the spot whether the follow-up had been carried out, but acknowledged the question deserved a definitive answer.

“Without that documentation in front of me, I couldn’t give you an honest answer,” Dresher said.

The environmental study at the center of the exchange was conducted by Mountain Environmental Services and released in early 2024. It was initiated after staff members raised concerns about a cluster of cancer cases within the district. The final report, reviewed by Dr. Joseph A. Cocciardi, concluded that no conditions immediately dangerous to life or health were found — but it flagged diesel exhaust as a potential long-term risk if left unaddressed.

“Emissions from the heating plant were identified as entering the school,” the report states.

Air quality testing conducted in November and December 2023 found a diesel odor in classroom 107 and room 206 at the Penn Kidder Campus. Samples from those rooms revealed the presence of benzene, a known byproduct of diesel fuel combustion. The report estimated the current excess cancer risk at two in a million, which falls within what it described as a caution range but outside the generally accepted risk zone. An excess cancer risk of one in 10,000 or greater is generally considered a risk by health organizations including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, according to the report.

The study’s top recommendation was to raise the boiler chimney height at Penn Kidder to prevent additional diesel exhaust from entering the building. The school board approved a proposal in February 2024 from Houck and Company to raise the chimney at a cost of $31,924.

“The recommendation was to raise the height to 38.64 feet, but we’re actually going to go a little higher to 40 feet to make sure we go above the roof line,” Superintendent Robert Presley said at the time. “The wheels are already in motion for all of the recommendations that came out of this.”

The study’s second recommendation — repeat air sampling and spot checks for benzene and formaldehyde — is what resident Harry Gwynne raised at the board meeting, questioning whether it had been completed.

“It’s recommendation number two — they listed the recommendation by priority,” Gwynne said. “Has everything been done since that report was completed?”

Gwynne also asked whether the district’s water testing screened for specific contaminants including xylene, trihalomethanes and radon.

Dresher said testing covers hundreds of substances but could not confirm those specific compounds were included without reviewing the documentation.

“They test for hundreds of different things — to say exactly what you’re saying, I won’t dare to stand and say they’re checking for that,” Dresher said. “But it’s all in that report.”

The 2024 study did address water quality at Penn Kidder. Water samples did not reveal any immediate environmental hazards, though low levels of trihalomethanes were detected. The report attributed those compounds to the proximity of the sample point to the chlorine injection site. Manganese was also found at a level exceeding its secondary maximum contaminant level, but the report said the concentration does not pose a health risk. The report also stated that exposure concerns from mold, radon, asbestos-containing materials, emissions from building materials and drinking water constituents “were not a concern.”

Gwynne said he had reviewed five years of water testing records obtained through a right-to-know request and found references to xylene and radon in those documents.

Water is tested on a weekly basis, Dresher said, with samples sent to a certified outside laboratory. The state also conducts an annual on-site inspection of the district’s records.

“We get a visit once a year — the State Department comes out to check all our records and make sure everything’s up to par,” he said.

On a separate matter, Superintendent Robert Presley said last week that a certificate had been located for flooring installed at LB Morris Elementary confirming the material contains no mercury, addressing concerns that had circulated about that building’s floors.

“My main concern is to eliminate some of the safety and health issues in the district,” Gwynne said. “I think we’re moving in the right direction.”