Asbestos Levels at Olney Elementary School: Simply Unacceptable!

By Brother Michael, OSL Chaplain/Facilitator © 
#OlneyNeighborsEmpowered Is Beyond Appalled, Dismayed, or Disgusted! Olney Elementary School's UNACCEPTABLE levels of DANGEROUS ASBESTOS imply, should compel at least a Parental WARNING!

St. James United Methodist Church, Philadelphia across the street is an Annex of sorts for the school. Overcrowded, it has 3 remote trailers in its schoolyard and an entire grade at the church in addition to using the church gymnasium for all 8 grades at the older school. This is NOT a good situation for a school with such a high enrollment and this high level of Asbestos fibers. We are flabbergasted and floored! Most of the population of this school are "Brown skinned", many Asians; all have in common that they're from low income, and low income working poor families.

As these students, parents, families already struggle; and whether they have "Medicaid" or private, work provided Insurance--or "Obamacare" Marketplace policies that they struggle to pay... is it OK now, for their kids to become sick? Or, years later to become sick, with Asbestosis, or Mesothelioma, and have no idea why or how?

Is it OK for OUR School District, which comes under Local Control this month, NOT TO ACT on this? Are YOUR kids going back there in September? If I was a parent of an Elementary School aged child now, they sure would not be enrolled there!

What about teachers, staff, faculty, building custodial employees who are inhaling this stuff? Where's OSHA? The Teachers Union? Anyone? Anyone!

In fairness, I did see a Facebook post or Comment by 179th PA Legislative District State Representative Jason Dawkins But, not a word from any City Council Members particularly, specifically 9th Council District Represenative Councilwoman Cherelle Parker. I think it's time for a Wake Up Call to some politicians and parents alike! For the Children...

Daily News  Story/ © Thanks to Wendy Ruderman and others for this awesome eye-opening reporting. Now, let's DO Something about it!  Together! - M

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DISCLAIMER: Opinions expressed here, on my Twitter account (@GoWestYoungMan1), or Facebook  are entirely mine, (DMB/Brother Michael) and do not necessarily represent the views or beliefs of the leadership or membership of #ONEFeltonville CCDC RCO, #OlneyNeighborsEmpowered and/or Feltonville Town Watch. When in Juniata News, my views do not represent the opinions of the newspaper.

© D. Michael Blackie, Principal/Owner 2018 aka Brother Michael, OSL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
DMB Communications dba ARGO-Liberty Communications~Philadelphia, LLC 

Wendy Ruderman

18 hrs

Can someone help me understand this? The school district disagrees with our testing methods and therefore has not - even out of an abundance of caution - HEPA vacuumed an area where our test found 10.7 million asbestos fibers. [I own a vacuum with a HEPA filter for routine household cleaning.] We believe strongly in our results; the district says our testing methods aren’t sound so they don’t believe there is any problem or health risk. We are literally at odds over microscopic, cancer-causing fibers, at odds over something you cannot see, taste, smell, while kids and staff continue to go into the school. [Bold/Italics added for emphasis] - M.

About this article

PHILLY.COM

New test: 10.7 million asbestos fibers on floor at Philadelphia elementary school

New tests show off-the-chart levels of asbestos fibers on surfaces at Olney Elementary School after officials at the School District of Philadelphia had ordered a cleanup.