The San Matean

Issue date: 11/13/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Rachael Nyrhila Skyline professor and tumor survivor Ann Ban

As CSM and Skyline College await the results from the air tests conducted in their science buildings, a select group of CSM faculty continues to experience health issues. CSM's Diane Martinez, facilities director, and Charlene Frontiera, dean of math and science, are waiting for the results.

A meeting took place at Skyline on Oct.26 to discuss the reasoning for the Denali Group's delay on results. The Denali Group is a private agency that provides environmental cleaning. The district hired them to test the science buildings on both campuses, Bldg. 36 at CSM and Bldg. 7 at Skyline. Those in attendance at the meeting were Jose Nunez, executive director of facilities planning and operations, Harry Joel, vice chancellor of human resources and employee relations for the district, and Mike Williamson, dean of science, math and technology to discuss the reasoning for the Denali Group's delay on results.
"All we really discussed was why we didn't get the information from the Industrial Hygienist, it was supposed to be back a while ago," said Williamson. Although they are waiting for the executive summary, preliminary reports show "the air quality is the same as any office space," said Joel.

Robert Kuykendall, principal industrial hygienist of the Denali Group is the person responsible for writing the reports. "Skyline will be getting their executive summary later today through e-mail," said Kuykendall on Oct. 8. "It is a pretty short report."
The contents of the report could not be obtained from Skyline by press time. Kuykendall says CSM's executive summary should arrive sometime later this week or early next week.
Several teachers in the new science building at CSM have suffered from various health issues. Anita Drazkiewicz, professor of biology, occasionally has migraines but has not associated to the building. "[The symptoms] set in the evening, but I am not sure if it is connected to the building," said Drazkiewicz.

Michael Bucher, professor of biology, has also had problems with sore throat and laryngitis. He first noticed these symptoms during the first week of school after faculty and class meetings. "You don't feel well, but you're not able to pinpoint where the distress is," said Bucher. "By Monday, it was clearly upper respiratory. It took me almost three weeks to clear up," said Bucher. According to Bucher, the problems only occur when he is in his office, Bldg. 36, Room 205C, for long periods of time. Both Bucher and Drazkiewicz share an office space together.

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