North Carolina State University on Monday publicly released the findings of a federal evaluation into Poe Hall, the campus building closed in 2023 after testing revealed contamination from toxic chemicals known as PCBs.
The report found elevated rates of some cancers among employees who worked in the building and concluded that “employees may have been exposed to PCBs in the building.”
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In a message to faculty and staff, NC State Chancellor Kevin Howell announced the federal evaluation was complete and emphasized that investigators “could not draw conclusions about the causes of cancers among employees” who spent time in the building.
However, a WRAL review of the report found the investigation was not designed to determine causation in the first place.
The report was prepared by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which had been conducting a Health Hazard Evaluation. Health Hazard Evaluations are designed to assess workplace conditions, review health concerns and identify potential exposure to hazards.
“Although an excess of melanoma and breast cancer was observed among female employees, this analysis was only designed to tell us if an excess of cancer occurred among employees based on the cancer rates of the state. It was not designed to tell us why an excess occurred,” according to the report.
Report suggests the university explore pursuing an epidemiologic study
The report stated the evaluation was meant to “identify the cause of the excess of cancer,” noting that cancer can occur for many different reasons.
However, it also suggested the university explore pursing a “specially designed epidemiologic “study, which could potentially determine cause." It recommended the university consider forming a committee of public health experts and scientists to evaluate whether such a study should be conducted.
That recommendation was not mentioned in the chancellor’s message to campus.
Students, some workers not included in report
The cancer analysis focused on employees whose diagnoses were recorded in the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry, meaning cases diagnosed outside North Carolina were not included.
The employee-focused analysis did not capture contractors, temporary workers or others who spent time working inside the building but were not part of the university employee dataset, according to the report.
Students, who made up a large portion of the people who spent time inside Poe Hall when it housed NC State’s College of Education and Department of Psychology, were not included in the cancer rate analysis.
A WRAL investigation spoke to more than 150 NC State students and alumni who reported developing cancer after taking class or studying in Poe Hall.
Poe Hall was closed by NC State in November 2023 after testing revealed PCB contamination inside the building.
PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, were widely used in building materials in the mid-20th century but are now classified as known carcinogens.
The university says it is reviewing the report in detail.
