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Air Toxics at Eden Gardens Fundamental Elementary School Below Levels of Concern

Release Date: 08/24/2010
Contact Information: Joe Hubbard at 214-665-2200 or r6press@epa.gov

(DALLAS – Aug. 24, 2010) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that the results of air monitoring data found no health risk from short-term or long-term exposures to hexavalent chromium or other air toxics at Eden Gardens Elementary School in Shreveport, La.

The final report is being placed on the agency's website. Because no concentrations of concern were found, monitoring has been discontinued at the school. The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) will continue to oversee industrial facilities in the area through the state’s air permit program.

From Aug. 29 through Dec. 15, 2009, a monitor collected air samples at the Eden Gardens Fundamental Elementary School where hexavalent chromium was the key pollutant of interest. During the monitoring period, EPA evaluated the concentrations to see if there was an issue with short-term exposures to these and other air toxics. Once the monitoring was complete, EPA analyzed the results to see if there was a concern from long-term exposures. In order to keep the community informed, EPA posted individual air sample results on the Website throughout the monitoring period.
The Schools Air Toxics Monitoring Initiative, which monitored outdoor air at 63 schools in 22 states, is designed to help EPA and state environmental agencies understand whether long-term exposure to air toxics poses health concerns for children and staff at the schools.

The report is posted on EPA’s Web site at: https://www.epa.gov/schoolair/schools.html

More about activities in EPA Region 6: https://www.epa.gov/region6

EPA audio file is available at https://www.epa.gov/region6/6xa/podcast/aug2010.html