HAMPTON, Pennsylvania – The students displaced from St. Ursula’s School when a flood exposed asbestos in the walls and ceilings are back in school – but not at their old school building.

Instead, students will attend class for the rest of the school year in modular classrooms set up in the parking lots outside the school and church in Hampton. Teachers and students returned to school Monday as workers finished setting up the last of the classrooms.

Since January 14 when students returned after an extended holiday, the 155 students have been attending classes at St. Richard in Richland, about seven miles away from their usual school. Sister Joanita Fedor called the experience a “two week field trip”.

On December 20, a valve on one of the school toilets broke during the night. By the time the break was discovered, water had flooded the main floor and damaged the floors and the ceiling below. The water damage also exposed asbestos, a hazardous air pollutant. Asbestos in school buildings is becoming a major issue across the country as buildings that were built in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s age and require renovations and repairs. Asbestos was widely used in construction, particularly in schools and commercial buildings, because of its excellent insulation and fireproofing qualities. Asbestos is contained in many materials that were used in construction, including wallboard, ceiling and floor tiles and pipe insulation.

As long as the materials that contain asbestos remain intact and undisturbed, asbestos is not a hazard. Once the materials become dilapidated or damaged, however, they may release asbestos fibers into the air. The tiny fibers can stay in the air for a long time where they can be inhaled. Once inhaled or ingested, the fibers can remain in the body for decades and cause health problems ranging from lung scarring and asbestosis to mesothelioma, a rare cancer that thickens the lining around the lungs.

The cost to remove the asbestos and repair the school is expected to exceed $500,000.

On Sunday, the modular classrooms were blessed during church services and were open for parents to tour. The students will be in the modular classrooms for the rest of the school year. There is no set date for completion of repairs, but students will not return to the school until the asbestos has been completely abated and the repairs are finished.

Each modular classroom will house one grade, and has its own security system, restrooms and phones.

Students lost an additional five days of school because of the damage and the asbestos contamination, and will be attending school through June 13 because of that.

Work on the school will continue through the summer and should be safe for students by the fall.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 11th, 2008 at 3:21 pm and is filed under Asbestos Abatement, Pennsylvania. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.