NC State chancellor gives update on Poe Hall's chemical contamination at webinar

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A webinar was held Monday morning to address the campus community's concerns about Poe Hall.

The university shut down the building last November after the discovery of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Those are chemicals that have been linked to increased risk of diseases such as cancer.

However, the levels were lower than the EPA warning.

NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson spoke alongside epidemiologists from the state and UNC-Chapel Hill at the webinar.

Woodson said he knows people who worked or had any contact with the interior of Poe Hall have questions about their safety because of exposure to harmful chemicals before the building closed.

"And while we cannot address personal health concerns in this forum, know that every decision that we've made over the past several months, including the proactive closure of this building, were made with seeking answers about the building and those concerns of the health of our community at top of mind," he said.

On Monday, officials said they are still in the evaluation phase of this investigation, so right now, they are not providing PCB testing or reimbursement for testing to students or staff who spent time in Poe Hall before the closure.

"Until we know more, each individual must make decisions about their own health in partnership with their medical providers," Woodson said. "And as a point of clarification, campus health, for example, does not currently offer any specific test for PCBs, but providers can help provide guidance on that."

ABC11 also learned on Monday that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is handling this investigation, so the university is limited on what it is allowed to say while the investigation continues.

Some on Monday's call raised concerns about other buildings on campus. The university's response seemed to indicate they are still testing for PCBs as normal across campus, but it doesn't appear that Poe Hall's situation prompted any additional testing.