Asbestos Problems for More Schools in Montpelier, Vermont

Less than two weeks after Main Street Middle School was closed by the state Department of Health due to possible asbestos contamination, more schools are under examination and may face similar problems.

Closed on July 28 due to asbestos-related problems, Main Street Middle School in Montpelier, Vermont remains closed and school officials don’t know whether the school will be able to open in time for the beginning of the new school year, just one month away.

The school was closed after a state Department of Health safety inspector found that workers at the school were using improper practices to remove floor tiles which contained asbestos.

Employees of the contracting company were chipping asbestos tiles off the floors to prepare for laying new tiles. The workers were not wearing face masks or using air-sampling pumps to monitor air quality while the asbestos was being removed. Classroom doors were left open, and there were no barriers around the work area to ensure that other workers were not able to enter.

As a result, the DOH shut down the project, and all contractors, employees, and any other workers using the building have been asked to vacate until it has been deemed safe to return.

At least two other schools in the Montpelier district may face similar problems. The school district has discovered that Williamstown Elementary and Barre Town Middle and Elementary School both used the same contractor which was shut down at Main Street Middle School for its unsafe work practices.

Barre Town Middle and Elementary School has already voluntarily closed, and remains closed. The school was evacuated and closed on July 29, after school officials heard that the construction company they were using had already been removed from the Main Street school.

Officials of both of the closed schools are waiting to hear from the Department of Health for approval of clean-up plans to address asbestos contamination issues.

The work at Williamstown Elementary has already been completed, and it seems that there may be no safety issues at the school. According to Vermont Department of Health environmental and occupational epidemiologist Dr. Austin Sumner, the job was much smaller and mechanical tile chippers were not used.

Main Street Middle School has been concerned about the possibility of opening late, but Montpelier School Superintendent Steve Metcalf says if the school can get its clean-up activities underway soon it may still open in time for the start of the school year, less than four weeks away.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 at 5:11 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Vermont. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.