School Forced to Close Due to Asbestos Problems

Schenectady, New York – July 25, 2008 –The Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology, an elementary school in the Albany School District, has been forced to close for the upcoming school year due to asbestos-related problems. The school will require considerable asbestos remediation before it can open again.

The school’s 500 students, in prekindergarten to grade six, will be relocated to other schools while the Academy is closed, said school district spokesperson Ron Lesko. According to Lesko, students will be relocated to the former Philip Schuyler Elementary School while the asbestos remediation is completed.

Work began on the Academy and its ‘parent’ school, Giffen Elementary School, when the school year ended in June 2008, as part of a general improvement project. The Academy was shut down, and a small asbestos remediation project was begun.

However, when the crews began their work, they discovered there was more asbestos located at the Academy than previously thought. According to Lesko, asbestos was found in places where it was thought to have been removed in the late 1980s.

Asbestos is an increasingly prevalent problem in schools across the country. The substance was once heavily used in construction materials of many different types, but due to its toxicity, the asbestos is now becoming a serious problem, particularly as these buildings age and the asbestos they contain becomes more exposed and begins degrading. Asbestos contamination in schools is especially disconcerting, as children are more susceptible to developing asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma.

Federal law requires that all schools adhere to Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) guidelines, which require schools to create and maintain asbestos management plans. The plans must include details of the location of any asbestos, as well as all measures taken to prevent exposure risks.

In addition, schools must be inspected every three years, and asbestos management plans must be available for public review by staff and parents.

After the discovery of the extra asbestos at the Thomas O’Brien Academy, air samples were taken in school buildings, but showed there were no elevated asbestos levels present. However, Lesko says that removing the asbestos is important to ensure students and staff are not put at risk of exposure, and also to alleviate public concerns.

The school estimates it will reopen for the 2009-2010 school year, and will meet with parents this week to discuss the temporary closure.

This entry was posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 at 2:53 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Legislation, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.