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Edgewood evaluates chemical treatments after evacuation

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10:57 PM Friday, October 14, 2011

By Denise Wilson

Staff Writer

TRENTON — Edgewood City Schools is evaluating when it chemically treats its athletic fields after an incident Tuesday resulted in the evacuation of the middle school and sent several students to local hospitals.

Forty-seven kids were affected — 21 were treated, with 6 being taken to area hospitals and most released to parents, said Jeff Galloway, director of Butler County Emergency Management.

It was determined that the spraying of a pest control and weed-killing chemical on fields behind the middle school caused the students to become ill.

Galloway said the chemical the students encountered is an irritant by inhalation.

Galloway said heavy, humid air and a breeze likely pushed the odor toward the open windows at school.

Hazardous material teams and numerous emergency crews responded to the scene at the middle school, which has about 1,100 students in grades 5-8, after dozens of students complained of headaches and feeling dizzy, officials said.

John Thomas, spokesman for Edgewood City Schools said all the students affected by the chemical returned to school on Wednesday, .

He said district officials met to discuss the incident the day after it occurred.

“We are making sure that we’re in compliance with everything we need to do. As far as treatment of the fields, if they’re done in the future, we will look at doing that during non-school hours,” Thomas said.

The area treated with the chemical Momentum, distributed by Lesco, Inc. included the baseball and softball fields and an area near the football stadium scoreboard.

He said blades of grass from the baseball field were tested, confirming they had been sprayed with the chemical Momentum — which kills weeds and clover, but not grass. The chemical is described as slightly toxic with corneal involvement or irritation and moderate skin irritation, according to gardenguides.com

Thomas said the fields are treated five times a year on a schedule during fall, winter, spring and summer.

“Most of the time it’s not (done) during school hours. They (the lawn care company) let us know when they’re coming and we give them approval to go ahead,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (513) 483-5219 or dewwilson@coxohio.com.

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