There are 11 macro cell towers on MCPS campuses. 81% of them are at schools where at least one-third of students receive free and reduced meals (FARMs).

 

Text of public comment by Lisa Cline on Montgomery County Public Schools Operating Budget April 2021.

 Hello. My name is Lisa Cline. I live in Gaithersburg, am an MCPS parent and child safety advocate. Thank you all for your incredible work keeping the County safe this past year. I for one am thankful for the hard decisions you’ve had to make. On that note, my testimony has to do with the safety of MCPS students and allocation of funds in the 2022 fiscal budget to test for an air quality issue that has gone largely ignored for 20 years. That is: radio frequency emissions. There are 11 macro cell towers on MCPS campuses. 81% of them are at schools where at least one-third of students receive free and reduced meals (FARMs). To put that in perspective, at a high school where 5% of students are in financial need, a cell tower was successful fought. So our poorer communities are disproportionately subject to the possible health risks of RF emissions. Does this bother anyone else? In 2004, it bothered the Montgomery County Planning Board. In 2004, a mandatory referral letter from the then-Planning Board Chair pertaining to a tower application (200411-04) at Northwood HS indicated approval of the tower with the condition that “a letter certifying [it] operates within FCC standards is provided on an annual basis to MCPS.” Last August, I began working with MCPS Real Estate lead Boyd Lawrence to obtain those annual certifications. Mr. Lawrence also serves as a member of the Montgomery County Tower Committee. He was unsuccessful getting any RF reports and directed me to file an MPIA request, which I did. The request yielded just three reports over a 20-year span. Not one tested aggregate emissions, one mis-named Wheaton as “Wharton,” one only tested the perimeter of the school, and none measured inside the schools…where it matters most. RF radiation is a possible carcinogen. So is radon and lead. So let’s talk about radon and lead. MCPS has been testing for radon since the late ‘80s on a five- year cycle; every two years at schools with a past problem. Regarding lead…all schools must be tested every three years for compliance with EPA recommended levels of 20 ppb. But that wasn’t good enough for many of you…who then passed legislation lowering the action level to 5 ppb. Let me underscore that there is NO RF testing in our schools. I hope you see the double standard here, appreciate the importance of this request and will allocate funding for annual RF testing at all of our cell tower-hosting schools.

Radon hot spots revealed in new MCPS tests

Roughly two months after the Parents' Coalition initially revealed the MCPS had not taken remediation action to reduce
high levels of radon at dozens of schools, new test results are gradually being made public.   The newest results can be found at:

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/facilities/maintenance/default.aspx?id=460457

DuFief Elementary School is one of many that continue to show high levels of radon.   The new tests show that 24 of the 50 rooms have levels at or above the EPA "action level" of 4.0 pCi/L.   Note, however, that a level below 4.0 pCi/L is not considered a "safe" level.

Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row: New test results show 3 rooms at Westland MS excee...

Robert Dyer @ Bethesda Row: New test results show 3 rooms at Westland MS excee...: Montgomery County Public Schools has completed new radon tests at Westland Middle School in Bethesda, and results show at least 3 rooms i...

After Radon Scandal, Bruce Crispell takes over as Acting Director, MCPS Dept. of Facilities Management

MCPS Dept. of Facilities Management

In December of 2015, James Song was the Director of the MCPS Department of Facilities Management.

As of this week, Bruce Crispell the Director of MCPS Long Range Planning is signing his name as:

Bruce Crispell, Acting Director

Department of Facilities Management

  

In the fall, Councilmember Craig Rice described the lack of radon testing by MCPS as a failure.

In this MyMCMedia Extra video, Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice, who chairs the Council’s Education Committee, describes Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) lack of follow up on radon testing in 26 schools and two other school buildings as “a failure” and, he says, “it can’t happen again.”

 

 http://www.mymcmedia.org/councilmember-craig-rice-on-mcps-and-radon-testing-its-a-failure-video/

 

Councilmember Craig Rice also said that his staff had previously asked MCPS for information about radon levels in schools and had been "assured there was not an issue."

Montgomery County Councilmember Craig Rice said he was surprised to learn of elevated radon levels in 26 schools and two MCPS buildings last week. That’s because as the sponsor of a recently passed radon bill, he said, his staff previously asked the school district for information about radon levels and was assured there was not an issue.

Radon Testing Underway in all MCPS Schools

It is not often community leaders and county officials admit to mistakes and oversights. But in a press release sent by Montgomery County Public Schools’ Public Information and Web Services Department on Dec. 6, Interim Superintendent Larry A. Bowers issued a statement in which he apologized to a concerned community for the county’s failure to follow radon testing protocol in numerous cases where tests within MCPS buildings showed elevated levels of the naturally occurring odorless gas linked to lung cancer.
Bowers then announced, “out of an abundance of caution,” plans to retest all schools and buildings within the county to set a new baseline for future reference as the next step “to enhance our overall radon testing and remediation program.” Results are scheduled to be posted on the county’s website as soon as they are received.
Radon is a radioactive gas and exposure to it—which can only be determined through testing—is the second leading cause of lung cancer in America (14,000 deaths per year), according the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)....

...But some parents, such as Simona Haver whose son attends Springbrook High School, are wondering why there would be no immediate mitigation for buildings that have already revealed high levels of radon.
Haver, who admitted she’s begun to feel stonewalled by authorities the more she inquires about her son’s safety, said an attempt was made to comfort her by explaining that children only spend a limited time in the affected classrooms.
“A person of authority told me, they’re only in one of those eight rooms (in our school that showed elevated levels) for 47 minutes every day,” Haver said. “I say, ‘OK, look, let’s look at this under a real microscope. That’s 47 minutes a day, over the last four years, Monday through Friday.’ That equates to 30 full days, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you know, going into a facility, that it’s going to cause you lung disease, would you go there for 30 days with the probability? … It’s not a risk at this point, it’s a threat to my child, to the staff and to the administrators.”...

 http://towncourier.com/radon-testing-underway-in-all-mcps-schools/

WJLA: 26 Mont Co. Schools with elevated levels of cancer causing gas

SILVER SPRING, Md. (WUSA9) -- "I was shocked to get the letter," said one mom dropping off her Kindergartner at Oakland Terrace Elementary School Tuesday.
She says she trusts the administration but has questions about elevated levels of radon found at the school, specifically is my daughter's classroom affected? "I would like to know but I would assume if it were dangerous they would not be in school today or have an alternative," she reasoned.
Twenty-six elementary schools in Montgomery County have elevated but not dangerous levels of radon - a naturally occurring carcinogen from decaying soil that could cause cancer with high levels. The gas is colorless and odorless. Three out of the 53 classrooms at Oakland Terrace are affected including two kindergarten classes.
"I'm not an expert in this field," said another mom of a first grader, "they have the right people and I trust that."
According to the school department, there was a lapse in routine testing for radon and when levels were elevated a second round of testing was never performed - but now will. A letter was sent home Tuesday but we learned did not specify which classrooms and did not make it to every parent...

http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/2015/12/02/montgomery-county--schools-radon-elevated-levels-cancer-causing-gas/76661734/

WJLA TV / ABC7: MCPS promises transparency amid radon scandal, later bans press from schools

ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — In a written statement released Sunday afternoon, interim MCPS superintendent Larry Bowers promised to swiftly, and transparently, purge radon from all 28 school buildings impacted by the colorless-odorless gas that is widely linked to lung cancer.

On Monday, ABC7 News asked to speak on-camera with Mr. Bowers, but our request was denied; a spokeswoman saying Monday's agenda was simply too busy for Montgomery County's top educator.

ABC7 News also asked for permission to record video of the radon testing currently taking place at a number of schools, including Glenallan Elementary in Silver Spring. Again, our request was denied. The same spokeswoman claimed a television news camera would interfere with MCPS' primary mission of teaching children. Requests for photos of the testing apparatus were also denied.

Read and watch the entire story at:
http://wjla.com/news/local/mcps-promises-transparency-amid-radon-scandal-later-bans-press-from-schools

MCPS continues to stonewall on providing historical radon test results

The Parents' Coalition is continuing our pursuit of the historical radon test results.

In the meantime, we want to know who performed the radon tests in the past.  To reduce the paperwork burden and lessen the chance that MCPS Public Information Director Brian Edwards will demand hundreds of dollars to obtain the documents, we decided to ask for the invoices for just two of the radon test projects that were performed before 2015. 

Here is the Public Information Act request the we sent today to pio@mcpsmd.org:

This is a request under the Maryland Public Information Act. It is separate and distinct from all other MPIA requests that I have submitted.

I am seeking copies of any two (2) invoices for radon test services performed by outside vendors in Montgomery County public school buildings during the period January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2014.

The documents that I am seeking may be mailed to me at the following address:

(address)

In responding to this request, please ensure that you fully comply with the current requirements of the Maryland Public Information Act. Please make copies of only existing documents. Do not create any new documents to fulfill this request.

Thank you for your anticipated reply to this request.

Louis Wilen

Anyone can submit a public information act request to obtain radon test results or any existing documents.  Feel free to submit your own request and share the response with parents, teachers, and the Parents' Coalition.

WJLA TV: MCPS responds to 7 ON YOUR SIDE report of dangerous radon levels in schools

The actual radon test reports continue to be withheld from parents and teachers, but in the meantime, MCPS is reportedly going to test all schools again.

Read and watch the story at:
http://wjla.com/news/local/mcps-responds-to-7-on-your-side-report-of-dangerous-radon-levels-in-schools

Washington Post: Concern about elevated levels of radon in Montgomery schools

By Donna St. George December 2 at 7:41 PM

With reports this week of elevated radon levels in 26 Montgomery County schools, parents and staff are urging swift action and more accountability about a problem that school district officials say they should have handled sooner.

Read the entire story at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/concern-over-elevated-levels-of-radon-in-montgomery-schools/2015/12/02/1bb3c7a2-9905-11e5-b499-76cbec161973_story.html

WJLA ABC7: Despite flunking EPA radon standards, MCPS says, "schools are safe"

ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — During an on-camera interview Tuesday, MCPS communications chief Brian Edwards stated that the 28 county schools, which were tested as having radon levels between 4 and 11.8 pc/l (picocuries per liter), are still "safe" for students and staff members alike.

[...]

"I would say it's a bunch of bologna," remarked Jim Keilson, a radon inspector with Maryland Home Inspector's, Inc. "No disrespect to him or anyone else that buys into that jargon, but it's just not true. I would ask [Mr. Edwards], if he were here with me, to show me [the report]."

Read and watch the full story at:
http://wjla.com/news/local/despite-flunking-epa-radon-standards-mcps-says-schools-are-safe


Note:  The Parents' Coalition requested the actual test reports (instead of the spreadsheet summary that has been provided), but Mr. Edwards replied by demanding a payment of $339.   The Parents' Coalition has now asked every member of the Montgomery County Board of Education, every member of the Montgomery County council and several state legislators from Montgomery County to obtain the actual test reports from MCPS and release them to the public.   So far, none of the elected officials have responded to our request.

WTOP: Elevated radon levels at Montgomery Co. schools prompt concerns

By Kate Ryan 

WASHINGTON — Parents alarmed by the news that elevated levels of radon have been found in 26 Montgomery County schools and two school system facilities say they want answers — including what remediation efforts have been carried out.

According to information supplied by the school system, some of those elevated ratings were discovered as far back as 2012.

Montgomery County council member Craig Rice, who backed county legislation requiring radon testing when single family homes are sold, says he’s concerned about the findings.

“I was actually in contact with the schools back when we had originally introduced the radon legislation and was assured that testing was being done and that those levels were safe,” he said.

Rice says he now has more questions for school officials.

The Fallsmead Elementary PTA hosted a meeting Tuesday night, where officials from the school system were expected to explain the findings in the report, made public by the Parents Coalition.

Read the complete story at:
http://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2015/12/elevated-radon-levels-at-montgomery-co-schools-prompt-concerns/

FOX 5 DC: MCPS to retest classrooms at 26 schools after slightly elevated levels of radon detected

... Montgomery County Public Schools claims the radon level at Fallsmead is only slightly elevated from what the Environmental Protection Agency allows.

However, other county schools such as South Lake Elementary School in Gaithersburg and Springbrook High School in Silver Spring on the report tested at high and very hazardous levels. Some of the test results were from 2012 and no follow-up testing was done.

School officials said they didn't have answers as to why no one followed up on this and why nothing was done over the next three years.

Full story at:
http://www.fox5dc.com/news/local-news/55127897-story

Washington Post: Elevated radon levels in 26 schools touch off retesting in Montgomery

By Donna St. George December 1 at 7:38 PM

 

Montgomery school officials sent letters to parents at 26 schools with elevated levels of radon Tuesday, saying the district will conduct more testing in coming weeks and voicing assurances that there is not an immediate safety threat.

The plan for retesting follows a report detailing radon levels at 205 schools and district buildings, compiled following a public information request from a citizen activist in the suburban Maryland school system...

...Edwards said that retesting should have immediately followed the discovery of elevated levels at the schools when earlier testing was done, but that in some cases that did not happen. “Clearly, someone made a mistake,” he said...

Read the entire story at:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/elevated-radon-levels-in-26-schools-touches-off-retesting-in-montgomery/2015/12/01/1e79801c-985b-11e5-8917-653b65c809eb_story.html

NBC4: Montgomery County Alerting Parents to Elevated Radon Levels in 28 Schools

For the past six years, Mindy Freedman has been sending her two sons to Fallsmead Elementary School in Montgomery County, and never had an issue -- until now.

"I was enraged," Freedman said, after she saw a radon report from Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) that shows 28 out of 202 schools have elevated radon levels.

Read and watch the story at:

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Montgomery-County-Alerting-Parents-to-Elevated-Radon-Levels-in-28-Schools-359746561.html

WJLA TV: Concern over radon levels in MCPS schools prompts PTA meeting, discussion

ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) — Reading, writing, and radon?

You saw the story First on ABC7 last week about the elevated levels of radon in some Montgomery County schools.

There has been a large turnout for the PTA meeting Tuesday night at Fallsmead Elementary School in Rockville where parents are concerned about radon test results.

Story and video at:
http://wjla.com/news/local/concern-over-radon-levels-in-mcps-schools-prompts-pta-meeting-discussion

What to look for in a radon test report

As we reported in the blog article below, the 5 page radon test report that the Parents' Coalition obtained last week was fabricated by MCPS in response to a public information act request, and is not a genuine test report.

We urge teachers and parents to demand to see the actual test reports for all rooms in their schools.   Real test reports will show the start and end date and time of each test, the type of test performed, the results of each test, and the name and contact information for the company that performed the testing.

According to EPA recommendations, testing must be performed during normal use of the room being tested. Tests should not be performed while school is not in session, such as during the summer.  The most accurate tests take at least three months, although a basic test can be performed in as little as three days. 

MCPS Chief Communications Officer Brian Edwards reveals that radon document provided last week was fabricated

MCPS demands $339 (or more) to release the real radon test result documents to parents and teachers 

The MCPS radon cover-up continues.

Last week WJLA TV (ABC 7) released a 5 page report from MCPS that summarized the radon test results for most MCPS schools.  The report, which was requested by the Parents' Coalition and shared with WJLA, was obtained through a public information act request seeking the "radon level test reports for Montgomery County Public Schools." 

An additional document received today by the Parents' Coalition reveals that the 5 page report was not the actual radon test report, but was instead a summary that was prepared by MCPS in response to our first MPIA test for radon reports.   (Of course, anyone who has ever done a radon test knows that the test report is at least one page long for each room tested.)

The Maryland Public Information Act manual from the Maryland Attorney General specifically directs agencies to provide actual records and not to create new records to fulfill a request.  As revealed by the letter below, MCPS spent several hours creating the 5 page summary instead of providing the actual test reports or allowing the Parents' Coalition to come into the MCPS offices to review the original documents. 

Following up on our original request, we asked for ALL documents containing test results and records of radon remediation work for the following MCPS buildings:

Damascus Elementary School

Fallsmead Elementary School

Glennallan Elementary School

Redland Middle School

South Lake Elementary School

Springbrook High School

Takoma Park Elementary School

Watkins Mill Elementary School

Westland Middle School

Carver Center (MCPS headquarters)

MCPS is now demanding at least $339 for access to the actual test reports for just the 10 buildings listed above.

Every teacher and every parent with a child in MCPS should be concerned and should ask to review the actual, room-by-room test reports for their children's school. 

Joshua Starr Certified that MCPS Remediated for Positive Radon Test Results #fib

It is now 2015, and we know that when MCPS found high radon levels in classrooms back around 2013 they did nothing.

What was the point of doing any remediation for high radon levels when the Green Schools application had already been submitted and MCPS won for two schools?

It's all about the application, the awards, and the happy press releases.

It's not about the safety of the students and teachers.

Read the complete MCPS Green Ribbon Schools application at the link below.  What else in this application did MCPS fib about?

2013 US Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Application

WJLA TV: Dangerous levels of radon found in 28 MCPS schools

ROCKVILLE, Md. (ABC7) -- A substance linked to cancer has been detected in dangerous amounts inside dozens of Montgomery County classrooms.

According to a five-page report obtained by ABC7 News, 28 of MCPS' 205 schools have dangerous radon levels.

Read and watch the full story at:

http://wjla.com/news/local/dangerous-levels-of-radon-found-in-28-mcps-schools