The NL English School District says consultation with a variety of government agencies indicates that there is no public health concern posed to students at Dunne Academy in St. Mary’s stemming from the old fish sauce plant.

Mayor Steve Ryan has called for air quality testing at the school which is only 300 metres from the plant.

The town wants the plant, and the vats of fermenting fish sauce, which a DFO report from 2016 indicated was lethal to fish that came into contact with it, gone.

Mayor Ryan says H2S—or hydrogen sulphide—has also been detected in the abandoned building.

The school board says there is no all-encompassing air quality test, and a technician would need to know in advance what they would be testing for. The district engaged an industrial hygienist who indicated there is no cause for concern around air quality at that distance. Eastern Health also concluded that there was no health risk to the school’s occupants as a result.

The board says removing the contents of the plant would not have an impact on the health of people in the school.