Indoor Air Quality

Braham School District is proud to be taking a leadership role in providing a safe, comfortable and productive environment for our students and staff so that we achieve our core mission; educating students. Our school will follow the EPA guidance to improve our indoor air quality by preventing as many IAQ problems as possible, and by quickly responding to any IAQ problems that may arise. Good air quality requires an ongoing commitment by everyone in our school, because each of us daily makes decisions and performs activities that affect the quality of the air we breathe.

School staff, students and parents can obtain checklists or self-help information so they can properly evaluate their child’s home or other out of school situation by contacting the school. Staff and parents can also obtain information about school facility construction, maintenance and housekeeping practices, chemicals used, mold and HVAC related information, chemical producing academic subjects, and pesticide and herbicide applications to determine the extent to which school activities contribute to a child’s symptoms by contacting the school.

The Braham School District Indoor Air Quality contact person is District Head Custodian Jeff Campbell. If there are any questions contact the school at 320-396-4444.

Pesticide

A Minnesota state law went into effect in year 2000 that requires schools to inform school staff, students and parents if they apply certain pesticides on school property.

Specifically, this law requires schools that apply these pesticides to maintain an estimated schedule of pesticide applications and to make the schedule available to employees and parents for review or copying at the school office.

State law also requires that you be told that the long-term health effects on children from the application of such pesticides or the class of chemicals to which they belong may not be fully understood.

If there are any questions regarding the Braham School District Pest Management program or you would like more information on the pesticide application schedule, please feel free to call the school at 320-396-4444.

Asbestos

As a result of federal legislation (Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act- AHERA), each primary and secondary school in the nation is required to complete a stringent inspection for asbestos and to develop a plan of management for all asbestos-containing building materials. The Braham School District has a goal to be in full compliance with this law and is following the spirit, as well as, the letter of the law. As a matter of policy, the district shall continue to maintain a safe and healthful environment for our community’s youth and employees.

In keeping with this legislation, all buildings (including portables and support buildings) owned or leased by the Braham School District were inspected by an EPA accredited inspector and an independent laboratory analyzed samples. Based on the inspection, the school prepared and the state approved a comprehensive management plan for handling the asbestos located within its buildings safely and responsibly.

Furthermore, the Braham School District has completed the 3-Year Re-inspections required by AHERA. Our district buildings, where asbestos-containing materials were found, are under repair, removal and Operations and Maintenance.

This past year Braham School District conducted the following with respect to its asbestos containing building materials:

Continued the Operations and Maintenance Program

Federal law requires a periodic walk-through (called surveillance) every six months of each area containing asbestos. MacNeil Environmental, Inc will accomplish this under contract.

Short-term workers (outside contractors- i.e., telephone repair workers, electricians and exterminators) must be provided information regarding the location of asbestos in which they may come into contact. All short-term workers shall contact the lead maintenance person before commencing work to be given this information.

The Braham School District has a list of the location(s); type(s) of asbestos containing materials found in that school building and a description and timetable for their proper management. A copy of the Asbestos Management Plan is available for review in the school office. Copies are available at 25 cents per page. Questions related to the plan should be directed to MacNeil Environmental, Inc., at 800-232-5209 or by contacting Braham School District at 320-396-4444.