Woodburn Hall remains closed Monday due to potentially dangerous fumes

Political science offices in Woodburn Hall remained closed Monday and all political science staff members were sent home due to fumes.\nPolitical Science Department Chairman Jeff Isaac sent his staff home Thursday, Friday and Monday because of problems with fumes. The fumes are from a bonding adhesive used by a construction company, contracted by IU construction management, doing work on the roof of Woodburn Hall.\n“Last Thursday it was so bad I contacted environmental management,” Isaac said. “I closed the department and sent people home because people were feeling sick.”\nIsaac said he was told measures were being taken to fix the problem Friday. The problem returned today, Isaac said.\n“The building has been tested at different times by environmental safety at my insistence,” Isaac said. “Thursday, and again today, tests showed traces of toxic chemicals.”\nThe level of chemicals, such as toluene, are below what Occupational Safety and Health Administration consider dangerous.\n“I believe the chemicals present are sufficient to make my staff sick and that’s what I care about,” Isaac said.\nIsaac, as chairman, has the power to instruct his staff to leave the building, but not the faculty. He suggested all his faculty leave the building as well, and they complied. He also post-poned or cancelled all activities in the department.\n“The fumes have made a sufficient number of people uncomfortable and ill so I felt I had no choice but to close down departmental operations in the building,” Isaac said. “It has been an absolute nightmare for the department.”\nIsaac said his department is in the middle of graduate student orientation, which had to be moved from Woodburn Hall.\n“It’s a huge hassle logistically,” Isaac said. “It’s not a good thing.”\nIsaac said he has also post-poned important meetings that are time sensitive. This is also comes at a time when the political science faculty and staff are preparing their syllabi.\nIU Environmental Manager Dan Derheimer declined to comment on the situation until tomorrow.