Dear Colleagues and Students,
I am reaching out to update you on the university’s progress to address health and safety concerns regarding the Sandels Building.
University administrators have received the results of the follow-up professional commercial radon testing of the Sandels Building, conducted Feb. 15-17 by Radon Professional Services, a licensed independent contractor based in Jacksonville.
In addition to the previous test methods, the contractor used professional-grade Continuous Radon Monitors (CRM) to conduct enhanced testing. CRMs measure radon on an hourly basis and provide a more accurate set of data over the 48-hour testing period.
The radon testing conducted last week found elevated levels of radon on the basement level of the Sandels Building. Tests conducted with a CRM in the basement averaged 6.1 picoCuries per liter (pCi/L).
Radon levels measured below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommendation for residential remediation action on the first, second, third and fourth floors of the building. The complete test results are available at sandelsresponse.fsu.edu.
While some minimal levels of naturally occurring radon are not uncommon in buildings, particularly in the Southeastern United States, the EPA recommends any sustained indoor measurement above 4 pCi/L in a residence be remediated.
The university has also hired an industrial hygienist to evaluate the mold and HVAC system in the building. The industrial hygienist has spent two days this week collecting a significant number of samples to produce an assessment of the entire Sandels Building. We will share results of this assessment when it is complete.
The next step is to work with public health experts, facility engineers and the industrial hygienist to develop a comprehensive remediation plan for the entire Sandels Building. Facilities and Environmental Health and Safety teams will work with outside contractors to remediate the entire building, including reducing all levels of radon through proven mitigation techniques.
We are working diligently to complete all necessary repairs, renovations and remediations by the start of the fall semester. Our plan is to complete the work in two phases.
Phase 1 will take place over the next month. During this time, air handling units and other system components will be refurbished, and the HVAC system will have intermittent operation. During Phase 1, researchers, faculty, or staff who have a need for limited access to the Sandels Building must make requests directly to me.
During Phase 2 of the project, the HVAC cleaning process will continue. Individual spaces may need to be taken offline for up to one week, and we will give advance notice in those cases. We will attempt to provide normal HVAC service during the standard business hours of 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, with the exception of the limited outages for individual spaces. We anticipate having all HVAC cleaning activities completed by July 1.
In addition, we have updated sandelsresponse.fsu.edu with new Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that include guidance on personal health concerns and worker’s compensation. The Feb. 18 lab analysis report of a heat duct sample has also been posted to the website.
I appreciate your continued patience, and I assure you that the health and safety of the campus community remains our top priority. Moving forward, I will send and post weekly updates on the progress of the Sandels Building.
Best regards,
Jim Clark Provost