Employees at Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois discovered asbestos in Harlan Hall this week, but college officials say that their “proactive” approach to removing the hazardous material will keep students and faculty safe.

Facilities Management was in the process of installing a new boiler when they found asbestos materials. They immediately called Brennan’s Peb, an asbestos abatement company, who determined that the material should be removed. The owner of Brennan’s Peb said that Lake Forest College is “the most proactive places I’ve ever dealt with” when it comes to expediting the safe removal of asbestos.

Because the majority of buildings at Lake Forest College are very old, Facilities Management Director David Siebert said that “asbestos has always been present” on their campus. Rather than call the recurring discovery of asbestos a “problem,” Siebert stated that college officials and Facilities Management employees instead treat the removal of asbestos as they would any other regularly occurring maintenance issue.

In fact, just a few weeks ago during winter break, asbestos was located in the form of insulation surrounding a steam line. Because the asbestos is inside a wall, Siebert and the Facilities Management team will hold off on asbestos abatement until students and faculty have vacated campus for their summer recess.

Siebert is also ordering an asbestos survey in Hixon Hall because he wants to make sure that all of the hazardous material is removed before Facilities Management begins an unrelated repair project.

“Given the age of the building,” Siebert said, “I suspect we will find asbestos.”

Lake Forest College chooses a proactive approach to asbestos abatement because exposure to this naturally occurring mineral may cause serious long-term health issues, including asbestosis, asthma, or mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer.

For Lake Forest College students, parents of students, or faculty members who may have additional questions about the college’s asbestos policies, Facilities Management Director David Siebert may be reached at siebert@lakeforest.edu.

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