West Allegheny parents and teachers didn't put much stock in the Allegheny County Health Department's report that air quality was normal at Wilson Elementary School, which is about 2,000 feet from the Imperial Landfill in Findlay.

Members of the audience at the April 15 school board meeting demanded more air testing and monitoring, saying the samples, taken over 24 hours in March, represented only a tiny piece of a larger puzzle.

"I hesitate to feel comforted by what I heard tonight," said Findlay resident Jennifer Greene, whose daughter attends kindergarten at Wilson.

"My concerns are immense," she said. "Every parent I've talked to is anxious to have some assurance of their children's safety."

Teacher Holly Smith demanded "final and complete test results" and a plan of action with a timeline for eliminating the stench caused by the Allied Waste/Republic Services garbage dump.

About 25 people attended the meeting, including several landfill representatives.

A school custodian asked for round-the-clock monitoring of the foul odors he smells while working the night shift.

Teacher Denise Cartisser said staff members and students have complained of "horrendous smells" during school hours this month.

Ms. Greene asked the school board members when they would consider moving the school away from the landfill.

School director Anne Bolind noted that constructing a new building would be expensive, but action would be considered if air tests and other studies proved the pollution at Wilson was unusually high and unsafe.

Dr. Bolind, the school board's representative for the landfill issue, said even if no health dangers are proven, the problem of nuisance odors should be resolved.

The health department is in the process of installing a 24-hour hydrogen sulfide monitor at Wilson that would relay constant data over a phone line, Superintendent John DiSanti said.

Attorneys are negotiating a consent order that would define what Imperial Landfill must do to comply with health department and state Department of Environmental Protection regulations.

Dr. DiSanti said the school and township have made written requests for items to be included in the order, but they would have no authority over the final decree.

"All we can do is be persistent," he said.

The health department analysis found normal levels of eight compounds, including benzene, in samples taken from inside one Wilson classroom and from the school rooftop.

Bruce Dixon, health department director, planned an epidemiology study to determine whether the area around the school experiences abnormal levels of illness, Dr. DiSanti said.

Results of other air tests by the state DEP are pending.