Vandals force
evacuation of
Waimea students

1,100 students in Waimea are
sent home after chemicals are
dumped and equipment
is stolen

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By Rod Thompson
Star-Bulletin

WAIMEA, Hawaii >> More than 1,000 schoolchildren at a Big Island school were sent home yesterday because of strong odors from chemicals dumped around a storage room by burglars.

The burglars also stole at least $20,000 of equipment from classrooms at Waimea Elementary and Intermediate School Sunday night, Principal Jon Znamierowski said.

Schools officials discovered the offenses upon arriving at the school at about 6:45 a.m. They were greeted by a pungent odor that burned their noses.

All 1,100 students at the school, which accommodates kindergarten through eighth grade, were sent home. Classes were to resume today.

The dumped chemicals were intended for use in eighth-grade sciences classes, Znamierowski said.

The county fire department's hazardous-materials unit identified the chemicals as sulfuric, nitric and hydrochloric acids, as well as two salts: copper disulfate and potassium nitrate.

Znamierowski said the acids were poured on the walls, floor and countertops and were mixed with the other chemicals, which resulted in the bad smell.

The burglars entered through louvered windows and then apparently used a crowbar to open a locked chemical cabinet, he said.

Hazardous-material crews spent the day cleaning up the chemicals.

Officials also discovered that at least twelve classrooms were broken into, Znamierowski said. Videocassette recorders, cameras and televisions sets were stolen, he said.

The break-in probably occurred Sunday night.