They included the Treasury Building; Customs and Excise Department on University Row, Prescod Boulevard; the old NIS Building in Fairchild Street; the Registration Department; District "A" Police Station and all the car parks in and around Bridgetown, said deputy general secretary Dennis Clarke.

He said while the union was not "surprised" by the findings of the preliminary report on Louis Lynch School as it "simply confirmed" the findings of tests done when the National Housing Corporation was based in Roebuck Street, they took "no comfort" from them either.

"The union was right when it said it was not only the building itself. People have to be very careful jumping to criticise workers without knowing the true content of the problem.

"We've seen one or two [people] pontificating on the treatment of workers and their physical ability to work," Clarke said.

He said the NUPW was yet to receive any report from the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) for testing done on those departments. He added he heard Government's chief environmental engineer and head of the EPD Jeff Headley say that department did not have the right testing equipment.

Clarke said that for some time the NUPW was saying that the EPD and the factories inspectorate should have upgraded equipment.

Headley responded to the equipment charge by saying that his department "might not have all the equipment because we might not have a lot of money".

He said Clarke knew the procedure for receiving reports and what had to be done.

Final findings Headley added that people had to let the team of scientists do their work and submit their final findings before they reached their own conclusions.

"We have heard there are concentrations. Let the scientists do their work. What we want to hear is the concentration levels. There are minimum and maximum levels of everything.

"For example, there are nitrates in ground water. The WHO [World Health Organisation] states that the maximum is ten millilitres per litre.
If it is five, six, seven, or eight, we're okay; approaching nine we are concerned. If it is ten or over we have major concerns . . . . There are allowable limits of any chemicals," the environmental engineer said.

Headley also noted the EPD had a new mandate to check air and noise pollution.

He said their staff and officers would be strengthened and trained and the necessary equipment ordered.