Conn. Weighs Carbon Monoxide Detectors In Schools

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- Two Connecticut legislative committees are endorsing a proposal that would require at least one carbon monoxide detector in every public and private school building.

The bill comes after recent incidents, including one in Waterbury, in which students became ill when the colorless, odorless gas permeated their classrooms.

The bill's supporters say carbon monoxide detectors would help ensure safety, and that they are inexpensive enough that requiring them would not be a hardship on municipalities.

The measure requires full General Assembly approval to go into effect.

A carbon monoxide leak in a Waterbury elementary school on Jan. 4 caused 20 students to become ill, including one who passed out. Two days later, 11 students in Vermont were hospitalized after a malfunctioning furnace pumped carbon monoxide into their classroom.

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