Alleghany Highlands Public Schools deals with the gas leak

Covington, Virginia – On Monday evening, irate parents addressed the Alleghany County School Board about their safety concerns.

Covington Middle School had to evacuate on Friday due to a carbon monoxide leak. The board brought in a number of experts to explain to the parents what caused the gas leak and how it was fixed at the meeting.

“At that point, we realized that the gas wasn’t burning efficiently due to a malfunctioning oven,” stated Jason Elmore, Chief Agency Spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. “Once we managed to stop that, we stopped the gas flow to that region, which allowed the gas to dissipate and prevented the detection of carbon monoxide.”

Why CMS did not have carbon monoxide detectors in the building was one of the board’s main concerns.

Board members responded to inquiries by stating that they were looking into the matter and would provide details once the inquiry was complete.

Administrators informed parents via email that detectors had been installed on Sunday.

One parent was worried that there might be more gas leaks because they said they could smell the scent in other parts of the school. However, according to experts, there were no additional leaks discovered in the structure.

“But there’s a chemical that’s added to natural gas that you can smell.”

It can move all the way through. Here, we have an HVAC system. Elmore stated that some of the vapors and other materials might spread throughout the structure.

CMS is safe for students to return to, according to the board. In any case, on Tuesday, the school will be closed so that teachers and students can get ready to resume classes.