April 7, 2008, Massena, New York - A small business-owner in Massena, New York claims that the Massena Central School District and its Board of Education have been covering up the fact that asbestos is present at the local Jefferson Elementary School, and other schools in the area.

James A. Farbotnik is so eager to get his message out to the public that he’s begun hanging banners outside his downtown Massena store, CyberWorldUSA that advertise his claims about the asbestos cover-up.

Farbotnik is particularly concerned because his children attend Jefferson Elementary, and continues to hang the banners despite repeated assurances from local officials that children at the local schools aren’t at risk.

The Massena resident has been attending Board of Education meetings for more than a year, repeatedly trying to present his arguments about illegal asbestos removal that allegedly occurred more than twelve months.

Farbotnik bases the majority of his claims about asbestos in the local schools on just one event, which occurred in January 2007. At that time, an asbestos survey carried out by Hygeia of New York found evidence of asbestos at Jefferson Elementary School.

The survey was carried out according to state Department of Labor regulations that required the school to complete an asbestos survey before beginning its planned renovation project.

A month after the survey was completed, a chunk of asbestos was found on a loading dock situated behind the school. At the same time, pipes wrapped in asbestos material were found near the loading dock. Following the asbestos discovery, the school was closed down for a week while tests were carried out to determine if an airborne asbestos risk was present.

Following that test, asbestos residue was detected in a boiler room, which was subsequently cleaned up during the 2007 Spring Break. No asbestos was located in any classrooms. Parents were informed of the matter in late April, in a letter sent out by Superintendent Douglas W. Huntley.

The school was subsequently cited by the Department of Labor for illegal asbestos removal, and former district Building and Grounds Superintendent Ben G. Gladding pled guilty to two federal charges relating to the removal of asbestos from Jefferson Elementary School and other buildings in the district.

Even so, Superintendent Huntley is adamant that the districts schools-and its children-are safe: “asbestos was removed through proper Department of Labor protocols from Jefferson Elementary. In my opinion, the school is absolutely safe and it has been safe.”

This entry was posted on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 5:11 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, New York. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.