Clapper, Patti, Schweizer and Mason

On April 16^th Gloucester, Virginia was hit by a tornado that destroyed large sections of Page Middle School.  Though the skies have cleared and the storm has passed, a new danger may be surfacing.  Portions of the school contained asbestos, commonly found in building materials used to construct the school in 1976.  The tornado that demolished sections of the complex released that asbestos into the air and created piles of asbestos laden debris— potential health hazards for anyone in the area.

Asbestos often becomes a problem when discovered while renovating or demolishing older building, those constructed prior to the 1985 ban on asbestos use.  In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that if asbestos containing materials are discovered in an occupied building and are in good condition, they should be kept in place and monitored rather than removed.  That’s because intact asbestos materials rarely prove harmful.  It is only when the materials degrade or become damaged that the asbestos fibers come loose and pose a threat to human health. 

Many people don’t take into account the danger from asbestos and other hazardous materials after natural disasters such as flooding or the twister that struck Gloucester. 

While the overall risk of asbestos exposure in the Page Middle School cleanup site may be small, the EPA is quick to point out that asbestos is a very dangerous carcinogen and even tiny amounts can cause deadly diseases including mesothelioma.  Therefore it is imperative that the hazard be contained and dealt with as soon as possible. 

The school district has been quick to act, partially due to their asbestos monitoring program that is in accordance with AHERA regulations put forth by the EPA for all schools known to be built with asbestos.  The damaged portions of the school have been sealed off with red warning tape and asbestos warnings have been posted.  However, fears still reside in the hearts of residents just starting to recover from this tragedy.

Officials and the public may not know the true extent of the damage until they get the results from third party testing firms.  Until then, nothing can be salvaged or removed from the damaged portions of the building due to EPA regulations.

Students have been temporarily shifted to another local middle school to wait out the situation safely but there’s no word on what will happen when school starts again in the fall.

Any attempt to rebuild or raze the damaged portions of the school will be hampered by asbestos testing and abatement, which legally must occur before any rebuilding can be done.  The school board will have to call for bids from third party contractors trained and licensed for asbestos abatement. 

The cost of removing asbestos building materials will be yet another blow the district will have to absorb—asbestos abatement could triple the bill for cleanup from the storm, as it often does during demolition projects.