Law Commentary - California Edition
Cancer Cluster Linked to NC University’s Poe Hall Raises Mounting Concerns
North Carolina State University’s Poe Hall has been linked to a new cancer cluster impacting over 150 former students, staff, and faculty members. The connection was made after reports of cancer among the student body trickled into a local news outlet. The story has since garnered national attention, prompting current students and faculty members to demand more transparency from the university.
According to reports, over 150 former students are battling or have battled cancer after being exposed to a possible carcinogen in the university’s Poe Hall. The university building was built in 1971 and was primarily used for classrooms for the Psychology and Education Department.
Between October and November 2023, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) along with lead and asbestos were detected in materials used to construct the building, prompting employees to raise their concerns to the state’s environmental and health safety unit. The university alerted the student body about the detection of PCBs and proceeded to close the building down for further testing.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PCBs are classified as “probable human carcinogens" that can have adverse impacts on an individual's reproductive, immune, endocrine, and neurological symptoms.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is currently conducting an investigation into the building, but the school has not collected any formal health data on the possible link to rising cancer cases. Meanwhile, local outlet WRAL in Raleigh reports that the number of cases that have been reported to them is on the rise.
While the university is not tracking the health of former and current students, they have created a website that outlines the latest about its investigation into Poe Hall. The website dates back to August 2023 when it was first alerted about the possible cancer links following employee reports to the state's environmental health and safety unit.
University Chancellor Randy Woodson and Vice Chancellor Warwick Arden have expressed their concern about the possible carcinogens, with Chancellor Woodson sharing, "I recognize that people are very eager for answers to their questions. This is very stressful, and I know that. It's a particular concern to us that we move through this as quickly, but as thoroughly as we can."
Reports of possible carcinogen materials first surfaced in 2018 when the exterior of the building was undergoing renovation for a waterproofing project. During the renovation, the building tested positive for PCBs, with levels that were 340 times higher than what the EPA classifies as “hazardous special waste.” A renovation project continued and included the replacement of caulk around windows and doors and along vertical and horizontal facades.
Despite this finding of PCBs in 2018, the building remained operational for five years until the employees voiced their concerns in August 2023.
In October the university announced that they had requested a federal Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE). However, the evaluation was allegedly called off in January. In an email sent to the industry group Inside Higher Ed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shared that the university asked to have the evaluation paused “because of NCSU’s own ongoing internal investigation.” As a result, the evaluation was closed.
The university has played an active role in informing the school community about the latest into the investigation. In March, the university hosted a webinar for faculty, staff, and students involved in the College of Education and Department of Psychology.
Woodson directed the school community to be proactive in their health concerns, stating, "Until we know more, each individual must make decisions about their own health in partnership with their medical providers, and as a point of clarification, campus health, for example, does not currently offer any specific test for PCBs, but providers can help provide guidance on that."
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