SCHOOL CANCER STUDY PUSHED; OFFICIALS STILL DEBATE RESPONSIBILITY.

Byline: Terri Hardy Sacramento Bureau

State and local officials pledged Thursday to push for immediate study of environmental cancer risks for teachers at two Los Angeles schools, although confusion still clouded the issue of which agency would take the lead.

The Daily News reported Thursday that the state had called on the county to conduct inquiries into whether cancer cases among employees at Francis Polytechnic High School in Sun Valley and Towne Avenue Elementary School in Carson were caused by their close proximity to landfills. Top county officials say they have no resources to do the study.

``Tuesday, I plan to introduce motions in the Board of Supervisors meeting calling for the board to request the state Department of Health Services and state Toxic Substances Control to take the lead in investigating the situations,'' said Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, whose district includes Towne Avenue school.

William T. Panos, the new director of the Los Angeles Unified School District's Environmental Health and Safety Branch, said a task force of teachers, state and county officials would immediately be formed at Poly, similar to a group already meeting at Towne.

Their task is to collect health information from faculty members at each school. That data will then be turned over to the state's cancer registry for analysis.

Sen. Tom Hayden, D-Los Angeles, said he will hold hearings within two weeks to get to the bottom of several issues. ``The first question: Who's in charge? The second question is, How widespread is the problem? And the third issue is what resources are needed to assess this problem.''

Several elected officials vowed that no matter which agency takes the lead, the probes will be performed.

``We have to ensure the health and safety of kids and faculty,'' said Caprice Young, the Los Angeles Unified School District board member from the Poly area.

One-third of staff members at Towne and at least three faculty members at Polytechnic have been diagnosed with cancer, according to records and interviews. Health experts say it raises questions about a possible link between the illnesses and both schools' proximity to landfills, which can emit carcinogenic chemicals such as benzene and vinyl chloride.

Municipal officials also said they intend to get involved immediately.

Jerry Grooms, city manager in Carson, learned of the cancer fears at a campus in his own city by reading a newspaper report, he said. ``It was startling news, to say the least. Carson needs to be in the loop.''

Grooms said the school was not the only area of concern. He said there are homes next to the former landfill, now the Victoria park and golf course.

The city manager called an emergency meeting with Carson's environmental planner, as well as officials from the Air Quality Management District. Grooms said he hopes that a plan of action can be developed to get more information about the potential dangers.

Young said Thursday that LAUSD also must deal with the larger issue of environmental safety at all schools near landfills. The district will begin environmental testing at about 30 campuses located within one-fourth mile of landfills, she said.

Young said district officials should consider environmental factors when buying land for new schools. She noted that an office building near Polytechnic and the now-closed Sheldon-Arleta landfill was discussed as a potential new school site.

``The property is great except for one thing: It's next to the landfill,'' Young said. ``It hasn't been rejected yet, but we can't move forward on it unless we know that kids and faculty will be safe, and we don't know that.''

Towne and Poly are among 10 environmentally troubled schools within the LAUSD being tested for toxics. Preliminary tests have been taken inside and outside classrooms at both schools, with no hazards found. More extensive testing will be done, including evaluating the soil.

Bev Cook, vice president of the United Teachers Los Angeles, said teachers at Cienega Elementary School in Los Angeles and Gulf Elementary School in Wilmington fear there are elevated cancer risks.

Cook said the union has no information about the teachers' problems at Towne and urged the teachers to come forward if they believe their cancer cases may be linked to environmental problems.