The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an updated letter to the three Valley charter schools cited for asbestos and lead paint concerns this past Friday.

The updated letter was addressed to the Youngstown Academy of Excellence, the STEAM Academy of Warren and the Niles Preparatory Academy and addressed comments posted by ACCEL, who operates all these schools.

The letter states that ACCEL posted that its environmental consulting firm “recommended abating a small area of ceiling tiles in a first-floor janitor’s closet and in an unused third-floor bathroom" within the Youngstown Academy of Excellence.

Additionally, the letter states that ACCEL indicated that the abatement process “began immediately and abatement is expected to conclude ... [June 15]" and campus plans to reopen Monday, June 17.

The EPA responded to ACCEL's statement saying it has only received location-specific data for the asbestos Academy of Excellence, but not the other two buildings and did not receive confirmation regarding lead paint at any of the three buildings.

Additionally, the EPA stated it has not received any confirmation of clearance sampling at the Academy of Excellence to support the decision to reopen on Monday.

"EPA is concerned with other areas of the Youngstown school building aside from the first-floor janitor’s closet and third floor bathroom. ... In fact, the ceiling tile identified as the subject of the abatement actions over the weekend was not recommended to be abated by ACCEL’s consulting firm," the letter reads.

The EPA went on to say while asbestos inspections were recently performed at the STEAM Academy and Niles Preparatory Academy, it has not received results of these inspections and ACCEL has not conducted inspections for lead paint at any of the three buildings.

That's why the EPA is recommending ACCEL to relocate all of its summer activities across all three buildings and isolate the affected areas until clearance sampling can be completed and provided to the EPA.