It isn’t uncommon to find asbestos in schools. However, officials are usually aware of the carcinogen’s presence long before those schools are demolished. Not so in the case of one Danvers, Massachusetts school. Demolition of the has been halted because workers discovered asbestos adhesive used during original construction. The asbestos material was found to be holding window casings into the openings in the brick structures and was not immediately accessible to students or staff.
The original plan was to have the demolition completed before the school year began in order to make way for the next phase in the construction and renovation project. However, the discovery of the asbestos adhesive pushed things back at least a month and the demolition isn’t scheduled for completion until late September or early October.
Asbestos in schools is a common thing. Many of these facilities were built well before the 1970’s when officials in the United States really started to crack down on the use of such tainted products. For decades asbestos was added to a wide variety of construction materials including tiling, insulation, and adhesives, such as that used in the Danvers school. And unfortunately these materials are still present, putting generations of students at staff at risk for a host of mesothelioma and other asbestos illnesses.
Often these asbestos materials are discovered during routine audits. The EPA allows asbestos to stay in place if the materials it is contained within are in good shape and can be kept that way. Affected schools must have asbestos management programs in place which require regular inspection and upkeep to keep the asbestos fibers from becoming airborne.
The Dunn Wing was constructed in the early 1970s, towards the end of use of asbestos building materials. However, the building has been plagued with chronic problems for decades and the school board finally approved a much needed renovation project which would effectively expand the learning facility and better equip the school for current and future generations. The Dunn Wing has functioned as a high school for two years and was previously the site of the middle school. The total cost of the renovation and construction is estimated at $71 million.
While by no means safe, the asbestos products used in the Dunn Wing were consider “safer” than ceiling and floor tiles and other asbestos materials because the adhesive effectively traps asbestos fibers, keeping them from becoming airborne. A third party abatement expert was called in to assess the situation and said that removal shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.
Because of the nature of this compound, abatement is fairly simple. The bricks and window structures which have come in contact with this tainted adhesive will simply be removed as complete units and moved away from the rest of the demolition activity. They will then be transported to an approved asbestos disposal facility.
Barring any other unforeseen discoveries, the demolition project should be completed shortly thereafter.