The Shoshana S. Cardin School has decided not to move in to the former Rosewood Center in Owings Mills, Maryland after an environmental report revealed the presence of both asbestos and PCBs.

"It’s very, very disappointing," said Shoshana S. Cardin, who is the co-founder of Baltimore’s only independent Jewish high school. "We were on a high. Parents, students, faculty, we were on a high that we’d have our own building and be in there in September."

According to school officials, the decision to back out of the deal was made after examining a preliminary environmental study of the 55 acre site. The buildings on the site contains asbestos and the ground is contaminated with PCBs. School officials are wary of purchasing the site without knowing more about the extent of the contamination, which could be very costly to clean up.

Asbestos exposure is conclusively linked to the development of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer. Mesothelioma affects less than 3,000 Americans each year; sadly, there is no known cure. The disease typically lies dormant for up to fifty years before an individual begins to suffer from mesothelioma symptoms, and the majority of patients lose their battle with this cancer in less than two years.

The school has retained an option to purchase a separate parcel on the same site. According to Cardin, the school’s current space is "inadequate for our needs," but the school is contractually obligated to stay there for two more years. The school has a small student body of only 56 children.

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