Moulton Hall investigation concludes just before fall classes begin

After months of investigating potential health risks, Chapman University environmental safety staff confirmed Moulton Hall as safe for students and faculty to access once again. Photo by DEVON JAMES, staff photographer

The investigation regarding Moulton Hall’s alleged health risks officially came to a close in late August as environmental experts and university staff declared the entirety of the building to be clean and safe for student and faculty access, just in time for the beginning of the fall semester.

Moulton Hall was put under investigation in early April after a health concern from a staff worker in the building was raised to university staff.

Soon after, Geosyntec and Cardno ChemRisk, two Orange County-based environmental firms, took over the investigation and allowed classes in Moulton to relocate to new classrooms, including the Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences building, the Sandhu Residence and Conference Center and the Hashinger Science Center, for their safety.

“This investigation was taken on by so many different departments who were able to complete a thorough check of Moulton Hall in a short amount of time, just as the new school year began,” Albert Vasquez, the vice president for Enterprise Risk and Safety and the primary point of contact for the investigation, said in an interview with The Panther. “Our primary focus while investigating Moulton was ensuring its safety for all students and faculty, and we were thankfully able to do just that over the summer.”

The investigation prompted students and faculty to relocate away from their classrooms in Moulton for the remainder of the school year, and it carried well into the summer months. 

“If I recall, the first email sent out by the university was very vague about why we had to relocate from Moulton, so I had to ask my professor about what was really happening,” said junior business administration major Kelsy Hua. “When I found out we were relocating because of environmental concerns in the building, I wondered why Chapman did not mention that in their email in the first place.”

Moulton Hall’s investigation was officially completed August 24 — just five days before the start of the fall semester.

According to Vasquez, a town hall was conducted on the same day for faculty to attend in order to learn more about the progress and results of the Moulton Hall investigation. No reports or videos were recorded regarding the event.

Over the summer, Geosyntec and Cardno ChemRisk conducted multiple phases of research, including a site walk to further assess the building for risks. Air quality testing and site evaluation of Moulton Hall’s workspace followed and were shortly completed afterwards.

As the investigation came to a close, Moulton Hall was confirmed to be clean and free from any high levels of environmental risks or chemicals. 

For privacy reasons, Geosyntec and Cardno ChemRisk declined to release what environmental risks they had been testing for throughout the investigation to The Panther.

Vasquez shared that faculty in Moulton Hall had been given more details regarding the investigation’s results at the town hall, stating that it was “valuable information for them to know.”

“(University staff) decided to use what one would call an abundance of caution and even though I decided to remain in Moulton, I think that was the right call,” said Giulio Ongaro, the Dean of the College of the Performing Arts whose office is located on the second floor of Moulton Hall. “We all know relocation was tough on some, and it’s never something one undertakes lightly, but I know we all feel better knowing that the issue was thoroughly studied and resolved.”

While most results of the investigation were shared to faculty and staff for them to better understand why the relocation happened in the first place, no updates have yet been provided by the university to students who had classes in Moulton Hall. 

“They should have been more transparent with us about what was going on because other than that first email back in April, they never updated us again,” said junior graphic design major Abi Simanjuntak, who had three classes in Moulton Hall last spring and has another three other classes in the building this fall. “If the health risks were so bad that they had to close for the rest of the semester, we should have at least been told about it because we’ve spent a significant amount of time in that building.”

Last semester, rumors began circulating about Moulton Hall’s health risks ranging from speculations of asbestos to carbon monoxide issues. According to Vasquez and the environmental firms, part of the investigation looked into these rumors, but no reports of either asbestos or carbon monoxide were found. 

Vasquez said these rumors and jokes that circulated last semester can now be officially set to rest.

As of now, there is no official message being drafted to go out to students regarding the results of the investigation, Vasquez said. However, after speaking with The Panther, he made a note of sending out an email to all students stating the conclusion of the overall investigation in the next few weeks.

Along with the Moulton Hall investigation that took place over the summer, university staff took extra precautions to investigate a separate area of campus as well.

Throughout the summer, Geosyntec was also asked by Chapman staff to perform an independent investigation of the air and soil around 633 W. Palm Avenue and its surrounding facilities, as stated in an email sent out in late June to all faculty and staff members.

In this separate investigation, Geosyntec looked at offices such as Facilities Management, University Advancement, Financial Services, Strategic Marketing and Communications and Information Services & Technology, as well as Crean, Argyros and Dodge facilities.

In the email, it states that the aforementioned facilities were being investigated for chemicals within the soil. Upon conclusion of the investigation, it reared positive results, indicating that while there were low chemicals levels in the soil, they fall well below the limits established for commercial properties in Orange, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

These two investigations have both concluded with positive results, showcasing no association between any health concerns and environmental risks present in any of the buildings on campus. 

A finalized report about the Moulton Hall investigation is expected to be sent out to students in the next upcoming weeks.