Portion of Gary's West Side school evacuated because of fumes

GARY | School officials evacuated some students and teachers from the north side of the West Side Leadership Academy on Wednesday after complaints of a pungent odor in the building surfaced.

The problem originated in the pipes coming from the cafeteria area at the Gary high school, spokeswoman Sarita Stevens said. There was a backup of grease and oil in the pipes, she said.

The fumes were not lethal, although some students and teachers reported they had headaches, Stevens said. The cafeteria, gym area and one classroom were evacuated, and students and teachers moved to a different area of the school.

School administrators called the Gary Building Department to come out and inspect. The city inspector told Gary school officials to clean the grease trap and pipes annually, Stevens said.

School will continue as usual Thursday, though students and teachers will not occupy the north part of the building.

Stevens said the smell is a maintenance issue. Plumbers began working on the problem Monday, cleaning out the pipes and the grease trap, she said.

The grease trap between drain lines and sanitary sewer lines allows for the separation and collection of fats, oils and greases from used water, preventing such materials from entering the municipal sewer system. Backups and foul odors can occur if grease levels get too high and block lines.

Stevens said when plumbers began cleaning the pipes, school workers turned on the exhaust fans to dissipate the odor but the fans circulated the odor throughout the area.

Gary Building Commissioner Benjamin Robinson said the odor creates a violation of minimum building standards. He said as far as he knew, none of the materials entered the city's sewer system. Robinson said school officials told him the cleaning would continue Thursday, and he and his staff planned inspect the school again.

Gary Assistant Superintendent George Comer and Edwyna Hord, director of elementary and secondary studies, went to the high school to check out the situation. Comer called it a "very minor issue" and said crews would be cleaning it out.