Poe Hall at NC State will shut its doors for fall semester

TEMPERATURES TOPPED OUT THIS

WEEKEND.

>> AS OF 5 O'CLOCK ACCESS TO PO

HALL AT NC STATE OFFICIALLY

RESTRICTED. THIS COMES AFTER

ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING REVEALED

THE PRESENCE OF POTENTIALLY

CANCER CAUSING CHEMICALS CALLED

PCBS. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I'M GERALD OWENS AND I'M DEBRA

MORGAN. ALL CLASSES NORMALLY

HELD AT THAT BUILDING HAVE BEEN

MOVED TO BE EITHER VIRTUAL OR

TO NEW LOCATIONS. WRAL WAS THE

FIRST TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE

CONTAMINATION REPORT THIS

MORNING. JUST BEFORE 10:00AM.

SINCE THEN, WE'VE LEARNED A

LOT MORE ABOUT PAST CONCERNS

RAISED BY FACULTY AND STAFF

ABOUT AIR QUALITY.

>> IN THAT BUILDING, WRAL,

SHELLEY JACKSON HAS BEEN ON

CAMPUS ALL AFTERNOON AND JOINS

US NOW LIVE AFTER HEARING FROM

STUDENTS AND FACULTY, SHELLEY.

>> WELL, DENVER STAFF AND

FACULTY OF RUSH ALL DAY TO GET

IN HERE AND PACK UP THEIR STUFF

AND GET IT OUT BY THE 5 O'CLOCK

DEADLINE. WE JUST SAW SOME

FOLKS LEAVE. NOW THE DOORS ARE

CLOSED IN THESE. THESE ARE

POSTED ON EVERY ENTRANCE TO

THIS BUILDING CLOSED AFTER 5

O'CLOCK TODAY TO FOLKS THAT GOT

CARD ACCESS THEY CAN STILL

ENTER TO NEXT WEDNESDAY.

THEN THAT WILL BE TURNED OFF.

WE TALKED TO SOME OF THOSE SUCH

AS THEY ARE PACKING UP AND

LEAVING. THEY TELL US THEY'RE

CONCERNED. THEY'RE UPSET WHEN

NO ONE WANTED TO TALK ON

CAMERA.

>> DOZENS OF FACULTY AND STAFF

ARE PACKING UP AND MOVING OUT

OF NC STATE'S POLL HALL.

I'M IN THE STUDENT SERVICES

OFFICE AND SO WE ARE BEING

DIVERTED TO GET A LIBRARY.

THE UNIVERSITY EMAIL THIS

LETTER THURSDAY NIGHT ABOUT

THE BUILDING'S CLOSURE AND

RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING

THEY CONDUCTED PRELIMINARY

ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING IN

OCTOBER, RESPONDING TO CONCERNS

ABOUT AIR QUALITY. INITIAL

RESULTS CAME BACK THIS WEEK

INDICATING THE PRESENCE OF AN

ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANT PCB.

ACCORDING TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL

PROTECTION AGENCY, PCBS,

POLYCHLORINATED BY FEMALES DO

NOT BREAK DOWN EASILY AND CAN

BE FOUND IN THE AIR WATER AND

SOIL. THEY CAN CAUSE A VARIETY

OF HEALTH ISSUES INCLUDING

CANCER TEACHERS WORRY.

>> I WOULD SAY THERE THERE'S A

LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN. WHAT

WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATED IS THAT

OVERHAULED. IT'S AN OLD

BUILDING. SOPHOMORE RECENTLY

GET TEST TAKEN CLASSES IN THE

PO BUILDING FOR A YEAR AND A

HALF AND HAD CLASSES THERE

TODAY. I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS,

LIKE I KNOW. I JUST HOPE IT

DOESN'T AFFECT MY RESPIRATORY

SYSTEM SINCE I'VE BEEN IN HERE

SO MANY TIMES

>> MANY FACULTY AND STAFF

MEMBERS TOLD US THEY WERE

AFRAID TO TALK TO US ON CAMERA,

WORRIED ABOUT RETRIBUTION.

ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT YOU'VE

BEEN IN THAT BUILDING FOR A

YEAR AND A HALF?

>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK

ABOUT RIGHT NOW. ONE PERSON

TOLD US THE CHEMICAL IS FOUND

IN THE DUCTWORK ANOTHER.

SO THERE HAS BEEN A BLACK DUST

IN THE BUILDING WHO SPOKE TO

PEOPLE WHO HAVE WORKED HERE FOR

MORE THAN A DECADE OR 2, MANY

TOLD US THE SAME THING. PEOPLE

WHO WORK HERE HAVE COMPLAINED

ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES FOR YEARS.

AND UNTIL THIS WEEK, THOSE

CONCERNS FELL ON DEAF EARS.

>> AND THE UNIVERSITY SAYS IT

WILL MOVE THOSE CLASSES ONLINE

OR TO ANOTHER LOCATION TO THE

END OF THE SEMESTER. ON

DECEMBER 6, DEBORAH. KELLI

JACKSON LIVE IN NC STATE.

THANK YOU. SHELLY.

>> 5 ON YOUR SIDE SPENT THE DAY

DIGGING INTO THE CONCERNING

ALLEGATIONS THAT UNIVERSITY

OFFICIALS KNEW ABOUT THE POOR

CONDITIONS AT PRO HALL FOR

YEARS WE SPOKE WITH FORMER AND

CURRENT EMPLOYEES WHO SAID THEY

REPEATEDLY TOLD OFFICIALS ABOUT

BLACK WATER AND BLACK PARTICLES

IN THE AIR. SOME SAID THEY

REPORTED ISSUES MORE THAN A

DECADE AGO AND EVENTUALLY THEY

STOPPED REPORTING IT HAD A FEAR

OF RETALIATION

>> IT IS THE HOMES LOT SAID

THAT IS IS THIS GOING TO BE

THE THING THAT FINALLY?

>> CHANGES THAT THE HOLES ARE?

>> I WAS. SO IT'S NOT WHAT WILL