An asbestos tainted elementary school and a similar middle school in Sioux City, Iowa, are both one step closer to being demolished in order to make way for two new schools. After months of preparation, the Sioux City school board unanimously approved specifications for an asbestos abatement project at the schools on September 10th without further discussion.
The former Hoover Middle School, located at the intersection of Hamilton and Country Club Boulevards, was constructed in 1956 and shut its doors for the final time in 2004. It was once home to nearly 500 students, but the outdated building couldn’t keep up with the times and officials decided it would be more cost effective to close – and eventually demolish – the building than to renovate it.
The current Washington Elementary School on South Martha Street is also scheduled for abatement. That school was constructed in 1921 and currently holds just under 400 students. That school closed its doors at the end of classes last spring and the students were temporarily transferred to Longfellow Elementary to await the construction of a new Washington Elementary at the same location.
Both schools were constructed well before asbestos regulations were created and therefore are loaded with the toxic material. Asbestos was used in floor and ceiling tiles, insulation, and much more because it acted as a fire retardant. Unfortunately, it also causes a number of potentially life threatening diseases including lung cancer and mesothelioma.
In compliance with EPA regulations, the schools both had asbestos management plans in place, which included regular inspections and upkeep on waxes, paints and other sealants that keep asbestos fibers from becoming airborne.
Mel McKern, Operations and Maintenance Director of the schools, said the abatement project will fall in line with specifications required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Because asbestos is so hazardous, special precautions must be taken whenever it or products containing it are to be removed or demolished. Unfortunately, the costs for abatement can run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, which puts unexpected burdens on already struggling school districts.
McKern said a third party asbestos abatement contractor estimated that it would cost the district nearly $381,000 to safely remove the cancer-causing materials from the construction sites. That costs is added on to any charges for demolition.
However, in an effort to save some money, the school district lumped these two projects together – the Washington project also includes removing asbestos from six buildings nearby in order to make room for the much larger modern facility.
No one attended a public meeting that was scheduled before the school board’s vote, though the presence of asbestos in schools is a national black mark on the face of education here in the United States. The Washington and Hoover schools are prime examples of the school system as it exists nationwide.
Outdated facilities constructed as far back as the 1920s are still being used to house young children, children who may be more susceptible to lung diseases caused by asbestos. However, there isn’t nearly enough money to remove this deadly asbestos safely. Therefore schools are forced to “deal with” this menace until they can secure funding enough to hire contractors and build new facilities.
Even with asbestos management programs in place, there’s no way to immediately tell if any of the children have been affected by their exposure. Mesothelioma and other asbestos diseases have latency periods that stretch into decades. People exposed as children may not show symptoms until their forties, fifties, or even later.
Tragically, some children are hit by this crippling cancer while still in their prime. Austin Lacy, a high school student from Pasadena, California passed away last year after struggling with mesothelioma. Similarly, a 13-year old student from Great Britain contracted the disease and succumbed to mesothelioma at the tender age of 18. She is likely the youngest mesothelioma victim ever recorded.