Pittsburgh School Solves Asbestos Problems
Tuesday, October 21st, 2008
Park Elementary School in Munhall, Pittsburgh has been closed since September 17 due to the discovery of asbestos in a building’s roof. However, the school is now reporting that it will reopen this week with all of the asbestos problems resolved.
Steel Valley School District Superintendent William Kinavey said air samples that had been taken in the school showed there was no longer airborne asbestos present in the building after repairs were completed and asbestos was removed.
In addition, Kinavey reported that the reopening of the school had been approved by the Allegheny County Health Department.
Students of Park Elementary have recently been sharing school buildings with Barrett Elementary, with each school’s pupils attending just half of a normal school session each day.
The issue of asbestos in schools is becoming an increasingly widespread problem. This is because the toxic substance was used in thousands of products up until the 1980s.
While asbestos once performed useful functions, the mineral is now widely known to be extremely dangerous since it can cause a range of serious diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma.
Asbestos-containing materials have become a major problem in schools because as these products age or become disturbed, toxic asbestos fibers are released into the air. If these fibers happen to be inhaled directly into the lungs, pleural mesothelioma is likely to develop later in life.
To deal with asbestos in schools, the EPA requires that all schools maintain a management plan that details the location of asbestos, its condition, and the measures taken to prevent exposure. In schools where asbestos is present, parents and school employees can request to see a copy of the asbestos management plan at any time.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 21st, 2008 at 1:15 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.
