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From Staff Reports
ELKINS -- Elkins Middle School will reopen for classes today, officials said.
At about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dr. Shawn Dilly, superintendent of Randolph County Schools, posted the following to the school system's social media:
"Following multiple agencies' comprehensive review of Elkins Middle School, we are pleased to announce that EMS will reopen for normal in-person operations on Wednesday, November 6, 2024. We are grateful for everyone's efforts in ensuring the safety and well-being of our students.
"The collaborative investigation has found no evidence linking EMS to the elevated carbon monoxide (CO) levels reported in students and community members. We appreciate your patience and support as we work together to maintain a safe learning environment.
"Thank you for your continued trust and partnership."
The school has been on remote learning since Oct. 29 due to air quality questions at the facility.
At about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Randolph County Office of Emergency Management released the following press statement:
"ELKINS – Randolph County Emergency Management announced today that no unsafe levels of contaminants were detected at Elkins Middle School during the 24 hours that air quality was monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Atlantic Region (EPA) Emergency Response division, following reports of children and adults with elevated carbon monoxide levels at a local hospital in the Elkins area.
"After air quality readings taken by several emergency response agencies found no trace of a carbon monoxide leak at Elkins Middle School, the EPA Environmental Response Team (ERT) deployed lab-grade equipment to conduct additional air quality sampling at the school and surrounding community at the request of the EPA On Scene Coordinator (OSC).
"According to the latest results from the EPA testing on the evening of October 31st through the evening of November 1st , the monitoring devices did not detect carbon monoxide in the Elkins Middle School or the surrounding community. There were no elevated detections of methylene chloride, or any other chemicals of concern, above background levels in any of the 16 samples collected. The EPA will conduct additional air quality testing at the school this Tuesday and Wednesday.
"'I want to reassure parents that there is not an imminent threat for our students at Elkins Middle School,' said Randolph County Schools Superintendent Dr. Shawn Dilly. "'Our federal, state, and county experts are actively assessing public health data and conducting research to provide the most accurate information. Based on the most recent data, parents should not worry about whether it's safe to send their children back to school.'
"Randolph County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is receiving active assistance from the EPA ERT, West Virginia Department of Health (WV DH), West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WV DEP), West Virginia Center for Threat Preparedness, local health departments, and surrounding hospitals. These agencies are coordinating resources through an incident command structure led by Randolph County Emergency Management to ensure a comprehensive response.
"The West Virginia Bureau for Public Health (WV BPH) and the Center for Threat Preparedness are also evaluating factors contributing to the reported symptoms. The WV BPH is conducting syndromic surveillance--or the collection of health-related data--in collaboration with local health departments and hospitals.
"'We will continue to collaborate with our state and local environmental health officials for further analysis. While the likelihood of carbon monoxide or other chemicals being a problem remains very low, additional monitoring will be conducted by the EPA as a precaution,' said Randolph County Office of Emergency Management Director Mike Miller.
"Randolph County OEM will publicize results from the EPA's next round of air quality testing early next week. Elkins residents should continue to report any unusual symptoms to their healthcare providers."