The Mount Vernon School District has recently hired an environmental service company to complete testing for and abatement of asbestos found in two special education classrooms at the A.B. Davis Middle School located in Mount Vernon, New York. The district decided to close the school after testing done by Niche Analysis proved that asbestos, although not particularly dangerous, existed in the two classrooms.

Asbestos was used in a variety of building materials including insulation during the early twentieth century. It was unknown how dangerous the substance was until the 1970’s. It was around the same time that congress formed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and use of asbestos began to become more regulated.

The asbestos was discovered as a result of a leak in the classrooms heating system that passed through fireproofing material that contained asbestos. The leak was found on Christmas Day and began in the guidance suite according to a spokeswoman for the Mount Vernon School District.

All areas that contain asbestos have been sealed off until the asbestos abatement project is complete.

Exposure to disturbed asbestos-containing materials has been known to lead to the development of a number of asbestos-related diseases such as lung cancer, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and asbestosis. These diseases typically have a long latency period which often means that the diagnosed are left with limited effective treatment options by the time that diagnosis occurs.

The school district has hired Infinity Environmental Services to conduct the abatement of the dangerous materials.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.