Asbestos Issues Kept Massachusetts School Closed Last Week

Taunton, Massachusetts - May 6, 2009

After building inspectors found a potential asbestos issue in the school, administrators decided to be cautious and sent the students home.

Mayor Charles Crowley said the preliminary tests and inspections indicate that there is likely no threat to the health of students and teachers, but he wants to wait for final written confirmation before allowing the school to reopen.

City building inspectors were conducting a review of the school on Wednesday when they found that some asbestos insulation on a pipe in a basement crawl space was starting to peel.

After the discovery, the Mayor decided to close the school and conduct asbestos air quality tests.

"This is purely precautionary," Crowley said. "We want to make sure we have it in writing."

Depending on the final test results on the asbestos, students could return to the Maxham School as early as May 4th.

Asbestos exposure can lead to the development of mesothelioma later in life. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, is incredibly aggressive. Most sufferers perish from the disease within 2 years of being diagnosed, and many only live a matter of months.

Mayor Charles Crowley said the city is "erring on the side of caution."

"Every old building has asbestos in it," he said. "If it's in good condition, it's not a problem."

The potential asbestos issue at Maxham is the latest event in a series on ongoing concerns related to school buildings. Earlier this year, a comprehensive inspection was required for all city-owned buildings. Many buildings had not been properly inspected in decades.

Concert to raise funds for asbestos removal in Illinois

Peru, Illinois - May 5, 2009

A North Central Illinois school is taking a unique approach in order to raise funds to replace the floor of its asbestos-laden gymnasium.

Students at Holy Family School in Peru, Illinois will get their gym renovations thanks to a country music concert.

Proceeds from the show (which will feature performances by country bands Little Big Town and Zac Brown Band) at the Cedar Point Sportsman Club will go toward renovations on Holy Family School's gym. The show will be called "Concerts for a Cause".

The current floor has not aged gracefully, and it sheds paint and wax. The deteriorating gym floor poses a health risk for several reasons, but school officials and parents are most concerned about potential asbestos exposure.

"We had contacted several companies about the gym floor," said Principal Jasiek. "It was becoming increasingly dangerous."

Ripping up the old floor would expose asbestos tile. Asbestos is usually considered safe if it is sealed away and not disturbed. Airborne asbestos can lead to mesothelioma. Rather than undergo costly asbestos abatement, the school has decided to lay the new floor on top of the old one.

As long as all safety precautions are followed during the installation of the new floor, the likelihood that anyone in the building will be exposure to harmful asbestos fibers is small.

"Concerts for a Cause," organized by a committee and Lou's LaGrotto restaurant in Peru, has funded school projects in the past. The concert series chooses worthy recipients by reading through letters asking for aid sent by local schools.

The committee and Merry Noonan, co-owner of Lou's and concert organizer, visited the school twice Tuesday. That clinched the decision, Noonan said.

"They wouldn't be able to have basketball games and tournaments," Noonan said. "If we can help, we will help you."

$5.1 million allotted to fix WA pipes, laden with asbestos

Startup, Washington - May 4, 2009

In Startup, Washington, officials are pleased to have a fresh source of funding to tackle the town's asbestos issues.

Startup water commissioner Karen Eaton was becoming increasingly fearful of the health impact the deteriorating water pipes under the town could have.

The aging pipes are 50 years old, and in poor shape. Eaton described them to one journalist as crumbling, near collapse, and a threat to public health.

Miles of asbestos-cement pipes that deliver water to the tiny town are deteriorating "like wet cardboard," according to Ms. Eaton.

So news that the town will be receiving over $5 million to update the water pipes came as great news to Eaton and other town officials.

The Startup Water District will receive $5.1 million from the Department of Health's Office of Drinking Water, which the town will use to update every water main in the system.

"We were thrilled," said Eaton, one of three water commissioners. "We've been working on this for months."

The water commissioners first realized the pipes were rotten after a series of waterline breaks. The tiny town was forced to pay out thousands to repair a series of breaks in the mains.

The fire department became reluctant to conduct training exercises, in fear of doing further damage to the water system.

But what was even more concerning was the knowledge that asbestos in the pipes could build up to dangerous levels, putting the town at risk.

Asbestos exposure is linked to medical conditions such as lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. Few studies related to asbestos exposure via drinking water are available, and the most common method of exposure is inhalation of airborne asbestos dust.

The entire project is expected to take about 2 years to complete.