A school district in North Carolina has said that it’s time for some asbestos abatement. According to reports, of the 91 buildings in the school district, 30 of the schools and 11 of the administration buildings are going to need the work done. The school district denies that any teachers, staff or students have suffered exposure to toxic materials.
According to the school district, routine asbestos testing revealed the problem. Most of the asbestos is located in floor tiles that were used in certain areas of the buildings identified. The tiles were put in back before the 1979 federal regulation against the use of materials containing asbestos went into effect. Yet, at the same time, a spokesperson for the school district has said that there is no way to get all of the asbestos out of the buildings without completely rebuilding the affected structures.
A contractor that specializes in the removal of asbestos has been brought in to take care of the issue. The contractor has said that the “friable” asbestos, which is easily released into the air, has all been removed. Even so, there are still some concerns about lingering dust particles that could make anyone in the schools sick.
The North Carolina school district has said that the air quality will be continuously tested throughout the removal process. In addition, all state requirements are being strictly adhered to in order to ensure that there is no risk of exposure to toxic materials when school begins again this fall. Hopefully, that will be enough. The lingering effects of exposure to asbestos may not be realized for some time.
Source: digtriad.com, “School District Flags 30 Schools for Asbestos Removal,” Faith Abubey, July 10, 2013
