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Initial Round of Sampling at Bannister Federal Complex Buildings 50 and 52 Reveals No Indoor Air Health Concerns

Release Date: 02/18/2010
Contact Information: David Bryan, 913-551-7433, bryan.david@epa.gov; or Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Feb. 18, 2010) - Results of recent air monitoring in and around a child care facility and an adjacent building at the Bannister Federal Complex in Kansas City do not reveal health concerns with indoor air at the facilities, EPA Region 7 officials announced today.

EPA Region 7 and its contractors performed a series of sampling activities February 4-7 at the two buildings, which are part of the General Services Administration's managed portion of the complex at 1500 E. Bannister Road. Building 50 houses GSA's Kansas City South Field Office, and Building 52 houses the Bannister Complex Child Development Center, a day care facility.

This round of sampling involved tests of indoor air, as well as supplemental tests of outdoor air and air samples taken from beneath the concrete floor slabs of both buildings. Indoor air samples showed no indication of health concerns related to volatile organic compounds. Results of the related sampling do not indicate migration from beneath the building that would pose health risks.

"Based on a careful analysis of this initial round of sampling results, EPA detected no particular health concerns present in indoor air at these two facilities," Regional Administrator Karl Brooks said. "This is good news, but it does not mean that our agency's work is done."

As a precaution, and at EPA's suggestion, GSA has already installed vapor mitigation systems in Buildings 50 and 52. EPA has committed to conducting follow-up vapor intrusion monitoring at the two facilities on a quarterly basis throughout the year. Further, EPA has agreed to conduct groundwater sampling, soil gas sampling, and soil sampling around the two buildings sometime after the ground has thawed sufficiently to allow those activities to occur.

"We are committed to protecting the health of the children, staff and visitors at the child development center, as well as that of the employees and visitors at Building 50," Brooks said. "We will work closely with the buildings' owner, GSA, to make sure that this happens."

EPA will sponsor a Public Availability Session for persons who seek more information. The session will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 25, at Evangel Temple Assembly of God, 1414 E. 103rd Street, Kansas City, Mo., 64131. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and get answers from environmental science and health experts.

A summary of the air sampling results is available at www.epa.gov/region07/cleanup/bannister/.