Pinelands Regional High School Reopens On Tuesday, More Than A Week After Closure Due To Air Quality Concerns

LITTLE EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP, NJ - Pinelands Regional High School will reopen on Tuesday, more than a week after school officials ordered it closed due to asbestos and air quality concerns.

Acting Superintendent said she closed the school last week as a "precautionary measure" for the safety of students and staff.

TTI Environmental Inc. - the district’s environmental consultant - concluded on Oct. 4 that the most recent testing indicted the results for asbestos were within federal and state standards, Stevenson said in a message posted on the district website.

TII later concluded verbally that the air quality sampling for volatile organic chemicals (VOC) was also safe for occupancy, she said.

TII also recommended that the district use filters to get rid of "transient substances" that were producing unfamiliar odors, Stevenson said.

"We are committed to implementing frequent, routine air sampling assessments for both asbestos and VOCs ( volatile organic chemicals) to verity continued satisfactory air quality and to avoid and issues that put the safety of our students and staff at risk," she said.

The district is already using filter units in the high school building to remove substances that are causing odors and will ramp cleaning efforts to minimize dust, she said.

The issue will be further discussed at the Oct. 11 Board of Education meeting, Stevenson said.

For test sampling results from last week, click here.

Photo: Patch file photo