In Bellingham, Washington, asbestos caused a building on the Western Washington University campus to shut down Monday morning. The Humanities Building at WWU has been evacuated after asbestos was possible released into the air there. Asbestos can be deadly if inhaled. The toxic material is linked to the development of several respiratory conditions, including both lung cancer and mesothelioma.

According to Gayle Shipley, who is with the university’s Environmental Health and Safety department, a contractor was working on a renovation project in the Humanities building. He removed a piece of the ceiling, which contained asbestos-laden materials.

At around 9:30, the worker disposed of a chunk of the ceiling. The piece of asbestos-laden debris was not properly bagged and sealed prior to being removed from the premises. This could have potentially contaminated the entire building with tiny particles of asbestos.

No injuries have been reported, but asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma have a latency period that can last decades. This means that exposure to asbestos now could take between 15 and 40 years to cause a cancer like mesothelioma. However, once mesothelioma manifests initial symptoms, the disease aggressively attacks the body.

All students and staff have been evacuated from the building as a precautionary measure. Classes scheduled to take place in the building yesterday were canceled. According to The Bellingham Herald, a local newspaper, cleanup contractors and consultants are assessing the situation.