FOLLANSBEE - Scientists with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have reported toxic substances found in the air outside Follansbee Middle School and two other West Virginia schools are not sufficient to create short-term health concerns.

But they cautioned it's not been determined if the substances pose long-term health risks to the school's pupils and staff.

Under the direction of the EPA, officials with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection installed two air quality monitors on the school's roof in August as well as monitors at the Cabell County Career Technology Center in Huntington and Neale Elementary School in Vienna.

Larry English, an assistant director with the departments Division of Air Quality, said the monitors in Follansbee would measure the presence of volatile organic compounds, metals and polacrylic aromatic hydrocarbons, all chemical compounds associated with industrial activity but also related to automobile use.

Bonnie Smith, a spokeswoman for the EPA's Philadelphia office, said the monitoring will continue into the early winter.

"Once monitoring is complete, the full set of results from all of the schools will be analyzed to evaluate the potential for health concerns related to long-term exposure to these pollutants," Smith said.

She added, "As monitoring continues into the fall, the EPA will post the data on its school air toxics Web site at http://www.epa.gov/schoolair."

Smith didn't know how soon final results from the study would be reported.

The three West Virginia schools are among 63 schools in 22 states targeted for air monitoring after the USA Today reported high levels of pollution near them. The newspaper said its conclusions were based on computer modeling using emissions reports filed by the EPA in 2005 and random air samples collected by the newspapers staff.

Smith said, "The EPA will post the outdoor air monitoring data from all 63 schools from across the country as it becomes available. The EPA will use the data from this initiative to help determine next steps, which could include additional monitoring or enforcement action."

Smith said it's too early to determine specific sources for the pollution.

English said if a source is found to be industrial, a normal course of action is to determine whether existing environmental controls at local plants are operating properly. If they are but have failed to reduce the emission of pollutants, DEP staff usually will work with industry officials to plan additional remedies, he said.

English said if adjacent traffic is found to be a source, remedies can include a change in the traffic pattern or timing of traffic signals nearby.

Mary K. DeGarmo, superintendent of schools, said she will work with officials to address the problem.

When the USA Today story was published, school board members commented that pollution in Follansbee is much less than in years past and that many of the children at the school would be exposed also while at local parks or their homes nearby.

(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com.)