THE SCHOOL’S REACTION

According to Margaret Skimina, the Associate Director of Fire Protection, Environmental Health and Safety at SAIC, “Attack! 2000 was applied to remove floor tile glue.” The School is still uncertain as to exactly how much of the chemical was applied. “As far as we know there was no spill,” said Skimina. “However, in an effort to reduce the odor and minimize its impact on our community, we removed the flooring and sub-flooring in the areas directly affected by the glue remover. We shampooed the carpets on the entire seventh floor and in the Development area on the eighth floor, have been continuously intaking and exhausting outside fresh air, have changed all air filters on the seventh and eighth floors, have allowed those affected to go home, and have also relocated those impacted to other working areas within the school campus.”

Relocating at least fourteen major offices including Registration, Student Affairs, the Bursar’s Office, Financial Aid, and Student Accounts (and each department’s respective desks, files, telephones and computers) took approximately 26 days, which is why some staff continued working in the chemical vapors for over two weeks after the initial application. The wait prompted some seventh floor employees to move to other floors before their offices were officially instructed to do so. Some began moving their workspaces up to six days before their official relocation.

May 2006