It’s a scene Ohio Valley residents see all the time: school buses driving past factories and mills.

That same scene was the cover of a national newspaper Monday, as Follansbee was named a toxic hot spot with regard to schools and air quality.

Follansbee Middle School and Jefferson Primary School were ranked in the 1st percentile as far as poor air quality. That means the air is worse at just 12 other schools throughout the nation.

Kristen Wagstaff has a daughter, 11, who attends Follansbee Middle.

"It does worry me, but I wouldn't choose anywhere else to live," said Wagstaff.

Other parents were less concerned, saying the study did not take into account the many generations that have gone through the school with no health problems.

"I think it (the study) needs to be more in-depth," said Robin Utt.

See Jasmine Lo's report on the reaction of local parents to the USA Today study.

Lauretta B. Millsop Primary School in Weirton also fared poorly, with just 522 schools in the nation having worse air quality. Also in the 1st percentile were St. Agnus Central School and Indian Creek Junior High School, both in Mingo Junction.

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For eight months, USA Today used computer simulation to predict the path of toxic chemicals released by thousands of companies.

The newspaper’s research found that more than 127,000 schools – public, private and parochial – fell into what’s being called a “toxic hot spot” based on their proximity to industrial plants and chemicals coming from them.

The article claims that health risks are stacking up for students who go to school near industrial plants across the country. The levels of chemicals were so dangerous that the EPA concluded to risk of getting cancer in these areas was 50 times higher than what is considered acceptable.

Follansbee Middle and Jefferson Primary were ranked 12th out of more than 127,000 schools in the country based on the concentrations and health hazards of chemicals likely to be in the air outside.

Brooke County Schools Superintendent Mary Kay DeGarmo said she found out about the study when a USA Today editor called her. DeGarmo said the news has her attention, and said she is trying to take measures to make the air healthier for students.

“It’s a concern when children are at risk for anything,” she said.

She said she has submitted – several times – a project to the West Virginia School Building Authority – to replace windows and doors at Follansbee Middle. Further, she said she wants to install air conditioning in the field house and this April she is looking to the authority to provide nearly $2 to make that happen.

A number of plants are located in Follansbee, including Koppers, Mountain State Carbon and Wheeling-Nisshin.

The article says children are particularly susceptible to toxic dangers because they breathe in more air in proportion to their weight than adults do. Further, their bodies are still developing.

Follansbee Mayor Tony Paesano said he was offended by the article and said the air is much better than it was 50 years ago.

“My children went to school here. I coached here. It’s better than it’s ever been,” Paesano said. “I know the hard work our industry is doing to clean up the air.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Koppers is committed to reducing its chemical emissions at the Follansbee plant by more than 58,000 pounds over the next year.

The company is also involved in a program to reduce the release of 31 substances designated as priority chemicals, and next year it plans to recycle more than 14,000 pounds of chemicals.