Asbestos Roundup: Asbestos in Schools

In LaGrangeville , New York , construction of new additions to Arlington High School hit a snag when construction workers found asbestos above the ceiling tiles in an older section of the building. The school board approved a work change order to have the asbestos removed before construction could continue, at a cost of $563,000. School superintendent Frank V. Pepe Jr. said that the district had the money for the removal because the district maintains a $3.5 million reserve fund for this type of unanticipated, but predictable, problem.

District officials said that because of Arlington High School ’s age, it was possible that more asbestos remained to be discovered, and said that the school’s air quality would be tested to insure that the facility is safe for students and faculty.

In Hanover, Pennsylvania, the Hanover Public School District approved a bid of almost $30,000 for asbestos abatement and remediation of mold at the Washington Elementary School. The work will be completed before the school year begins. The project will involve removing several different types of mold found in pipe insulation in the school’s crawl space, as well as abating an asbestos contamination in the pipe insulation. The pipes will be re-insulated after the contaminating materials are removed.

In Misenheimer, North Carolina, a charter school has been cited by the Department of Labor for failing to inform faculty and staff about asbestos in the school’s building. The Gray Stone Day School is located in the Harris Science Building on the campus grounds of Pfeifer University. The fine for the violation was $350.

Sources:

“Asbestos found in high school“, VoiceLedger.com, 17 July 2008

” Hanover approves asbestos removal“, Hanover (PA) Evening Sun, 15 July 2008

“School fined for no asbestos warning“, News14.com, 15 July 2008

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