Asbestos in Schools
In ORANGEVILLE, ONTARIO, CANADA, over the summer, asbestos was discovered and removed from a secondary school. The discovery was made during “massive” renovations to improve the school’s energy efficiency, air quality, and ventilation system. Most of the ventilation system was built in the years between 1950 and 1967, and was severely outdated.
Since then, the school’s operations systems, such as the ventilation and electrical components, have not been replaced. Much of the wiring no longer was up to code and the air quality in the school was poor due to inefficient air circulation. The renovation project aimed to remedy these problems and many others, but during the work, asbestos was discovered which had to be removed.
Delays in the project prevented its completion before the students returned to class, and the areas still undergoing renovations will be partitioned off. As those are completed, other parts of the school will be closed. Letters concerning the construction are to be sent home to the parents on the first school day.
As removal of the asbestos was done in the early stages of the renovations, school officials say there is no threat to students as they return to class.
In GALESBURG, IL, plans to replace some ceiling tiles in the Learning Center of Galesburg High School are being moved up to the end of this school year. Original plans called for the ceiling tiles, which contained asbestos, to be replaced several years from now, but after a state inspector’s tour of the school over the summer, the date was changed to the end of the current school year.
The state inspector found what appeared to be an asbestos ceiling tile with a recent cut made in it. Dust from the hole was still nearby. The district maintains that the hole was not recent, but the decision to replace the tiles was still made. Replacement of the tiles will cost the district $2 million, but the potential cost of not replacing them is much higher.
Exposure to asbestos dust and particles can lead to deadly lung diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. The dust around the hole in the asbestos tile could prove to be a health hazard, and any future disturbances in the tiles could also create problems. The district is erring on the side of caution by replacing the tiles sooner rather than later.
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