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Pawhuska

Posted: Aug 21, 2017 8:29 PMUpdated: Aug 21, 2017 8:30 PM

Pawhuska High School To Remain Closed

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Max Gross

A town hall meeting was held in Pawhuska on Monday evening to address the natural gas purge site located at Pawhuska High School. Hundreds of concerned citizens sat in as local, state and federal officials gathered to discuss the issue.

The Oklahoma State Fire Marshal’s Office issued statement saying that a system is being put in place to ventilate any leakage from entering the school. Any natural gas will be filtered above the roof of the school.

Adam Adams from the Environmental Protection Agency presented a study on air quality both within the school and the surrounding outside area. All air samples were compared to regional screening levels and were found to be well below EPA screening levels for hazardous air inside the school building.

However, the well located near the football practice field was found to have sporadic hazardous air. While the gas is mostly dispersed through the air Adams says the flammability of the methane gas present could be a hazard due to the explosiveness.

Tim Baker from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission said the priority for all involved is to get the school back open. A contract is in place for Trinity Natural Gas to begin working on the ventilation system. Work for that is slated to begin Tuesday morning with an estimated 48 hours of work time.

Pawhuska Schools Superintendent Dr. Janet Neufeld said that there are built in days within the school schedule to account for time missed. However, at this time no date is set for when school will begin. Dr. Neufeld runs down the list of things that need to happen before the school site is cleared.

Options like using the old junior high building or churches to hold classes were suggested, but Dr. Neufeld informed the public that no secondary sites will be used at this time. 


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