Air monitoring under way at Warren

Air monitoring began this week for a U.S. EPA initiative that will include testing at Warren Elementary and measure toxic air pollution at schools across the country.

The outdoor air at 62 schools in 22 states will be monitored, with samples already being collected this week at two schools in Tennessee and another in California.

Monitoring at the local sites, which include Warren Elementary, the Ohio Valley Educational Service Center in Marietta and Neale Elementary in Vienna, is scheduled to begin no later than Aug. 23.

Initial results from the 60-day testing should be available about two weeks after the monitoring begins, at www.epa.gov/schoolair/schools.html.

The study was announced in March by the EPA after a USA Today report raised questions about air quality outside schools near large industrial facilities.

"Those questions merit investigation," said U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson. "Our job is to protect the American public where they live, work and play-and that certainly includes protecting schoolchildren where they learn."

The samples collected will be tested for pollutants known as air toxics in both gas and particle form and the EPA will then try to determine whether more protection is needed in the areas tested.

There should be no disruption at the schools due to the monitoring and little work was required from the districts.

The EPA brought in and installed the equipment needed on the roof of Warren Elementary, said Warren Local Superintendent Tom Gibbs, with a little assistance from the school's maintenance staff.

The USA Today report that led to the initiative listed 13 Washington County schools among the nation's worst locations for outside air quality. They included all Marietta City schools, Barlow-Vincent Elementary and Warren Elementary in the Warren district, Lowell Elementary in the Fort Frye district, the Washington County Career Center, Marietta Christian School, St. John Central Grade School and St. Mary's School.

EPA officials questioned USA Today's testing methods, which relied on computer modeling rather than long-term physical monitoring, and launched their own study.