Minooka High School in Minooka, Illinois will be getting a face-lift this summer. Renovations include air conditioning, new roofs, and asbestos abatement. This building is 38 years old.

Asbestos was once a common component of insulation and ceiling tiles. It was not until after the school was built that the material was declared a carcinogen and asbestos usage laws were instituted here in the United States.

The renovations are being performed in order to bring the building up to code. New building codes mandate that schools have fresh air circulation. Currently, much of the building has no air conditioning.
New ventilators will be installed, as well as a central air system.

As long as asbestos is undisturbed, it does not present a health hazard, said Superintendent David Middleton. However, once work begins on air vents and pipes, the material will have to be removed to avoid exposing workers and other individuals who may be inside the building.

The issue of poor air circulation is of concern at Minooka High, as asbestos fibers have the tendency to become airborne and settle on standing objects in dust form unless there is adequate air flow in the area.

The shortcomings were found during a 2007 survey of the campus. The state requires all public schools to be within certain standards as part of the life-safety program, and a life-safety survey must be completed every 10 years.

Money comes from a district budget, and can only be used for state approved life-safety needs. In this case, the asbestos removal will be paid for with funds from the district.

MacTec, an asbestos removal firm, is overseeing the removal of the deadly carcinogen from the school. According to MacTec, most of the asbestos is located in insulation around water pipes. The asbestos abatement will cost $7,500.

Exposure to asbestos is connected to the eventual development of certain respiratory ailments, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma. Following exposure, symptoms may not appear for as many as fifty years.

Source:

Suburban Chicago News

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