Edgard Courthouse cleaning causes 21 to feel ill: Employees have resumed normal operations, Parish officials say  

Published 12:05 am Wednesday, August 28, 2019

EDGARD — Acadian Ambulance and the St. John Office of Fire Services arrived at the Edgard Courthouse Friday morning to assess 21 individuals onsite who complained of nausea and eye irritation after a disinfectant was used to clean AC ducts.

Blood pressure and pulse readings were obtained, according to St. John the Baptist Parish communications. Acadian Ambulance secured 19 medical refusals and transported two individuals to St. James Parish Hospital. At the direction of Sheriff Mike Tregre, seven deputies reported to the hospital out of an abundance of caution.

A representative from St. James Parish Hospital confirmed nine individuals arrived at the hospital Friday morning but could not offer any further details due to medical confidentiality.

The Office of Fire Services did not report any injuries following the incident.

The Edgard Courthouse was closed for the remainder of the day Friday, and all employees left the building before noon as a precautionary measure as maintenance work continued.

Employees returned Monday morning and the Edgard Courthouse resumed normal operations, according to Parish communications.

Judge Madeline Jasmine was notified on Aug. 20 that HVAC cleaning would take place later in the week in the Division A Courtroom. She agreed to use courtroom B or C as preparations began for the cleaning Thursday afternoon.

The Courthouse secretary and chief judge were also informed, according to a statement from St. John Parish government.

Sporicidin Disinfectant Solution was applied to the AC ducts and return air vents. Sound panels were removed for cleaning, and the HVAC filters were changed throughout the building.

Solicitations are underway to clean all of the HVAC units in the Courthouse, officials said. The HVAC work in Courtroom A is now complete, and the carpet and cloth chairs were cleaned after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.