In just a few short weeks, students will stream back onto a toxic campus for the Fall 2024 Semester at NC State. This time last year, whistleblowers were desperately trying to get the University to shutter Poe Hall, which only happened months later when NC State finally admitted that the building had high levels of PCB contamination. A year later, our petition demands remain as critical as ever. 

What did NC State try to get away with this summer?

Chancellor Woodson is leaving the University with a “remediation” plan built on a faulty report. Woodson, who recently announced his retirement at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, has laid out a remediation plan for the building based on University contractor Geosyntec’s flawed report. Dr. David Carpenter, public health physician, professor and expert on the human health harms of PCBs, has stated “I find this Geosyntec report to be grossly inadequate and just wrong in almost every aspect.” Learn more. 

NC State is doing everything to keep the true conditions in Poe Hall a secret. NC State has been fighting for months against court-legislated independent testing in Poe Hall related to a former graduate student worker who is now suffering a deadly form of cancer. The parties recently came to an out-of-court agreement which allows the former NC State grad’s legal team to conduct testing in the building provided that all findings are kept confidential. There is no indication that the University will take action based on new findings revealed by more thorough, independent testing. 

It’s not just Poe Hall! Our campus buildings have become an extreme safety hazard. The same report that identified PCBs in Poe back in 2018 also noted their presence in D.H. Hill Jr. Library, which remains open to this day. NC State is quietly trying to deal with another on-campus environmental disaster in Dabney Hall. Environmental testing in the chemistry building revealed high levels of hazardous materials, including PCBs, asbestos, lead and mercury. The University plans to move forward with “occupied renovation” of Dabney despite the College of Sciences’ request to relocate the department before construction, meaning that students, faculty, and staff will remain in the building as hazardous materials are stirred up during the removal process. 

Our Campus Community Demands Better 

The NC State Campus Community has come together to demand that the University:

To date, none of the above demands have been met. NC State administration has demonstrated repeatedly that they will only deal with on-campus environmental harms when pressured by the media, teams of lawyers, and the campus community. We must remain steadfast in our efforts to keep each other safe on campus, and secure financial and medical assistance for the hundreds of people harmed by decades of exposure to toxic chemicals in Poe Hall. Sign the petition today, and pass it along to others who are ready to hold the University accountable for protecting the people in our campus community. 

What can you do?

Sign on to our petition demanding that Chancellor Woodson and other University administrators are held accountable for PCBs and other toxins on our campus

Follow the Campus Community Alliance for Environmental Justice on Instagram

Become a CCAEJ Member Get  involved in the fight to ensure that the NC State Administration does right by the hundreds of people who are currently battling cancer and other life-altering health problems caused by the toxic environment of Poe Hall – and to ensure that no further harm is done to members of the NC State community. This August we have multiple opportunities for virtual and on-campus volunteering. Submit your CCAEJ Member interest form as soon as possible to hear about these exciting opportunities to join the fight (and get some free CCAEJ swag!)